Just One Night With You
by Kiya Sama
Summary: A 'frightening' ultimatum given forces Naruto to join Team Taka. His discoveries would lead him to new friendships, romances, and a realization that Sasuke just might be a little less of a pain-in-the-ass than once assumed.
1. Chapter 1

**Main Pairing:** Sasuke/Naruto

**Warnings:** AU, Bad language, Lemony/smutty scenes ahead.

**Notes:** Well, the muse is back...I think. Maybe all this polishing up of old stories and rewatching the show again has spurred them all, but here's something new from the ol' noggin. Read, leave a comment, makes me pretty happy. Enjoy!

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**Chapter One**

Tendrils of smoke drifted from the cigarette that dangled from the corner of his lips. They curved like belly dancers, mingling with the late evening air, which surprisingly was still humid and stifling. He sat on his hunches and sighed – a bored expression on his countenance as he eyed the ants (students actually) still leaving the school grounds at this hour. He had long taken off the dark blue blazer of his school uniform, the red tie slung loosely around his neck, and top few buttons opened to let in some semblance of reprieve from the heat. His blond hair; damp with sweat, clung to his forehead and cheeks. Absently, he wiped at the droplets that threatened to fall into his eyes, grimacing as they stung anyway. He blinked rapidly and riveted his gaze to the heavens, realizing with a dull pang that he was one, goddamn hungry and two, turning into one of his best friends, Shikamaru – a lazy bum.

Normally, they'd be hanging out together on the roof of the school at this hour, but Shika had suddenly found himself dragged into an unwilling baseball game as Coach Yamato had all but ragged on him for being such a lazy jackass and ditching his team every time. The blond chuckled and flicked some ash from the stick, remembering how aghast Shika had looked at the public humiliation. Hadn't he warned the other boy not to sign up for the team? Shika had said it was only to look good on his graduation resume since his class work stunk like hell. The blond winced for he knew that he too had to find something to make his resume look presentable. So far, all attempts at being a part of any sporting activity did not interest him in the slightest.

It wasn't as if he wasn't good at anything, and goodness knows he had heard enough lectures from Principal Tsunade about 'applying himself' , but what the hell? He applied himself everyday. It took a lot of skill to peek into the girls' locker rooms, or to join Chouji, a fellow classmate, in snapping shots of the girls' swim team when no one was looking, or selling said pictures for a good price at other neighboring schools. Pictures of the hot trio – Sakura, Ino and Hinata – could sell for as much as five bucks each! Speaking of which…

He whipped out his cell phone and dialed a number, rolling his eyes as a familiar bark was heard first. He could swear the dog actually owned the damn device.

"'Sup, Naruto?" came the voice of his other pal, Kiba.

"Kiba, what happened, bro? You didn't show up in school today."

"Miss me that much, sweetheart?" Kissing sounds were heard and Naruto sniggered. "Dude, I got the flu. Sucks majorly."

"That dog of yours…"

"Don't even go there," came the protective/defensive tone that was a routine with Kiba. No one dared blame Akamaru, for that was the pup's name, for anything. In Kiba's opinion, the dog could do no wrong. It was everyone else that had the problem. "So what the fuck you call me for, man? I'm busy…"

"Jacking off, yeah, yeah," Naruto replied and stubbed out the cigarette, idly reaching into the pocket of his pants for another one. "You still in for Kusanagi High?"

He chuckled as Kiba whooped and promptly coughed in reply. Wow, Kiba did sound like he was down and out. "I'm so there, man! When -"

"Eh, not with that cold you're not," Naruto interrupted. "Not to worry, Shika and Chouji will be enough -"

"No way, bro!" Kiba began to protest, but Naruto tuned out the whines and pleas that his cold would be fine by Friday night, as a distraction presented itself in the form of one Uchiha Sasuke – a fellow classmate – well actually he was in Class 3-1 – who was currently walking along the ledge of the rooftop. Naruto sighed inwardly and forced himself to focus on the conversation at hand.

"…got my meds and shit. I'll be fine!" Kiba finished with a huff.

"Kiba, look it's just a swim meet. There'll be plenty others." But Naruto knew that Kiba knew that there wouldn't be others because Kusanagi High was an all-girls' establishment with the hottest babes on the planet and just getting tickets to see this event was something young hot-blooded men all over the freakin' country would have killed to get.

Uchiha Sasuke was rocking back and forth on the ledge now. Naruto shook his head and turned away. God, couldn't the guy get a clue?

Kiba was still whining and now promising Naruto a week loan of his precious video games. Naruto was tempted. "Well…I guess you could come…"

"You're the best, bro!" Kiba all but squealed in delight and promptly began rattling off something about some porn magazines he managed to shoplift the other day. Naruto's peripheral vision caught sight of the other boy still teetering dangerously on the edge of the roof and finally having enough; he rudely cut off the conversation with Kiba by snapping the phone shut to spin around.

"The fuck, Sasuke! I told you, I'm not joining your stupid club, now stop stalking me!"

The dark-haired boy looked surprised at the outburst, although one could make out the small smirk that curved his lips. "What are you talking about, Naruto?"

Urgh. How Sasuke could manage to sound like he was so damn cool was grating on Naruto's nerves. "That boyfriend of yours, Sai -"

A narrowing of eyes. "He's not my boyfriend -"

"…keeps bugging me in the middle of class, telling me to sign up! You're the captain of the team, aren't you? Get him off my case!"

"You have a mouth," Sasuke replied with a mock yawn. "You tell him."

Naruto's jaw worked for a moment before he spun around to walk to the opposite end of the roof. It was a large expanse of space, thank goodness, so more room to breathe and not have to deal with Mr. Wonderful over there. Ah, did we forget to mention that Sasuke was supposedly the most popular guy in the school? It's even rumored that some of Kusanagi's finest were after his ass.

"Goddamn it!" Naruto growled and kicked at a cement block, wincing inwardly at his stubbed toe in the process. Stooping to his haunches again, he lowered his head and tried to breathe evenly, realizing that any conversation (however little it was) with Sasuke managed to get his blood pressure rising. He wasn't sure that was healthy.

"So going to the swim meet, are you?"

_What the…?_

Naruto rose to his feet and glared at the smirking boy pacing beside and now away from him. Sasuke leaned against the wire fence and stared into the furious blue eyes, loving the way he could always manage to get a rise out of the blond with just a word. It really was…_delicious._

"What's it to you?" Naruto finally managed when he could find his voice again.

"Want to meet someone special?"

The blond raised a brow but said nothing. This was a trap. This bastard-

Sasuke turned away and continued in a bored tone. "I hear Amaru Azusa just broke up with her model boyfriend. She must be lonely and all…oh yeah, she did call me last night…"

The cigarette, which Naruto had been ready to light, fell to the ground as he went slack-jawed. He rushed up to the other boy and grabbing fistfuls of Sasuke's blazer, he stared intensely into the amused dark eyes.

"Don't...fuck...with...me," came the low growl. "Are you serious? Is she really…?"

And now to nail the coffin. "She likes you," Sasuke replied. "Told me herself."

Naruto lowered his head; hands now trembling as Sasuke's words sunk in. Amaru Azusa – the red head with the killer smile, the fastest swimmer – most likely to represent Japan in the next Olympics (as rumor had it) – legs to die for….THAT Amaru _li…li…liked him?_

"You're lying," he whispered, trying to squash down his hopes. He looked up again into Sasuke's eyes, barely missing the flicker of some emotion he wouldn't have been able to define anyway. "You're making this up, aren't you?"

"If you don't believe me…why don't you speak to her yourself?" Sasuke cajoled in a voice that seemed deeper and a bit husky. If Naruto was focused enough on the boy, he would have noticed that his companion's breathing was shallow and his features, a bit flushed. Sasuke just prayed that Naruto wouldn't come any closer or he was more than bound to notice the growing bulge in his pa…

"What do you mean speak to her?" Naruto retorted as he finally released Sasuke's shirt to step away. He eyed Sasuke warily when he whipped out his cell phone and punched a single key on the device.

Damn. He even had Amaru on speed dial?

Keeping his eyes trained on the flabbergasted blond, Sasuke spoke into the phone with a small smile on his lips. "Hey, Amaru. How's it going?...uh huh…aww, come on…you'll be great on Friday….mmmhmm…ahaha…sure…hey, listen…guess who I have with me right now? No….not him…and Jesus, he is NOT my boyfriend! What is with everyone? Just because he stal…hangs out…anyway, guess who's here? Naruto….uh huh…wanna speak to him?" Sasuke smirked as Naruto waved his hands frantically in refusal. "He's coming to the meet on Friday…you'll see him then, huh? Nice. I'll tell him. Bye…yeah…see ya."

"You bastard!" Naruto growled, even though his features seemed to glow with undeniable excitement and yet disbelief. "You really did…"

"I told you. Now you have your date with Amaru…and you owe me."

Naruto, who by this time had been pacing up and down and wringing his hands as his thoughts skipped to Friday and what he could possibly do with the redhead bombshell, froze at the comment.

"Owe you what?"

Sasuke scowled. "Dude, do you honestly think I'd set you up with a girl that just about any other guy would die for, just to get nothing in return?"

"He…hey! I didn't ask you to…!"

"But you wanted to," came the rebuttal as Naruto suddenly found himself grabbed by the scruff of his shirt and flung against the wire fence. He gave a light grunt of pain before widening his eyes as Sasuke leaned closer. Was it his imagination or were those dark eyes changing into a red hue? He always knew Sasuke was the devil in human flesh, but this was too much.

"Get the fuck away from me," Naruto said quietly. If it came to a fight, he could hold his own and he wouldn't mind punching Sasuke just for the hell of it. The boy had it coming.

"You ungrateful son of a bitch," Sasuke replied just as softly, his eyes narrowed, lips curving into a smirk that made him seem so confident and sure of himself. "I offer you a buffet of beauty all wrapped up in one and what do I get in return?"

"What do you want then?" Naruto snarled. "Money? A pack of smokes? A ride on my bike? What?"

"Simple really," came the answer. Naruto could feel his blood not only rising, but a reluctant tingle of pleasure at the warmth of Sasuke's breath against his cheek and now into his ear. He closed his eyes…no squeezed them shut, hoping that the other boy wouldn't realize that his ear was one of his more erogenous zones. _Shit. Oh shit. I'm going to kill him if he dares…!_

"…fuck you…"

Naruto's lashes flew open and for a second he wondered if he had just been insulted. His hands formed fists – ready to pound them into Sasuke's face. "What did you say?" he asked in a voice that felt like flakes of chipped ice.

"I said, Naruto, I'd very much like to fuck you….it's been on my to-do list for a very long time."

His fists unclenched, his jaw going slack again as the words finally sunk in. He knew it! He knew it! There was no way a guy as goddamn pretty as Sasuke Uchiha, who hung out with that fucktard Sai, or that creepazoid Suigetsu or the zombie Juugo or the dyke, Karin, could possibly be straight! No…fucking…!

"Get the hell off me!" he roared and shoved Sasuke away, eyes blazing with fury.

"Then no date with Amaru," Sasuke replied coldly.

"Fuck the date with Amaru!" Naruto answered, still trembling with shock at what was taking place. "I don't need this bullshit."

"Okay. Suit yourself…although…"

Naruto, who had been ready to stomp away, spun around with eyes narrowed as he watched Sasuke, now on his haunches and tapping out a cigarette himself. "Although what…?"

"Oh…nothing…" came the vague answer.

"Cut the crap, Sasuke! What is it?" God! Just one excuse to punch him, that's all he needed.

Sasuke blew out a ring of smoke and wagged a finger as if admonishing a bad child. "You've been pretty naughty with your friends lately, haven't you?"

Naruto stiffened. "What…"

"Taking pictures of naked girls in the locker room….stealing some medicine from the nurse's office to 'sell' to those guys at Shinjuku…"

"Why you…!"

"Oh wait…I'm sorry…how did you get your tickets to the swim meet again?"

"We paid for them!" Naruto roared. "We got them from…!"

"Takeshi," Sasuke interrupted. "Who is known for selling fakes like a mofo. Too bad…and here you thought you were going to the event of a lifetime. If the security guards see those tickets, there's no way you're going in…bro." He smirked and leaned against the fence, looking nonchalant and seemingly bored with the whole affair. "Although…"

Naruto rolled his eyes, even as his heart seemed to be pounding so hard and loud his eardrums were ringing. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be! He had shelled out over 50,000 yen for the tickets. Months of hard labor at that godforsaken road work, only to find out he had gotten fakes…fuck!

"I could get you in," Sasuke said with a light shrug. "And all you have to do is…"

"Offer my ass to you for a good fuck, eh?" Naruto sneered. "God, you're one sick…"

"You could end up liking it," Sasuke interrupted with a matching sneer. "You think I haven't seen you and Kiba kissing…"

"We pretend!" Naruto yelled in frustration. "It's nothing…!"

"Oh sure, it's nothing," Sasuke cut in, now looking pissed off for some reason. "You don't kiss boys and _pretend_ that many times, Naruto. You're not averse to it, so why are you averse to me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" came the barely contained growl. "I hate you."

"Why? We barely even talk on a regular basis, dickwad. What's to hate?"

"You want a list?"

"Indulge me."

"Urgh! This is stupid…can't believe I'm even having this goddamn conversation with you." He spun around to search for where he had dumped his blazer. He was leaving to find Takeshi, and when he found that no-good asshole, he was going to tear him a new one. Naruto made a mental note to inform Shikamaru as well, no doubt his buddy would want to help in the beat down.

"All right then," Sasuke tried again, kicking himself inwardly for having to do this. "Since it means 'nothing', why don't we pretend you're kissing me, hmm?"

"Give it up, Sasuke," Naruto replied, dusting off his now found blazer. He shrugged into it and sunk his hands into the pockets of his pants. "I'm not kissing you or fucking you or even giving you a blow job if you were the last guy on earth. If you're that desperate, go find Sai or Suigetsu and buttfuck them all night for all I care."

"It's you I want," came the flat statement that seemed to hang like a lead weight between them.

_The hell?_ Naruto thought with mild panic as his heart skipped a beat. Jesus! What the hell was with that intense look in Sasuke's eyes? He was getting freaked out and was not really liking the way his body was reacting to the situation.

Sasuke, for his part, realized he was fighting a losing battle here. He thought the direct approach would work…but then again, hadn't he been expecting this? It still didn't lessen the hurt.

"You might like it, Naruto," he said again, now with a small smile as he noticed the boy approaching them in the background. His time was up. "So think about it. You have three days till Friday. If I don't get an answer by Thursday night, you aren't getting into Kusanagi. I'll make sure of it."

He rose to his feet and flicked away the cigarette, barely glancing at Shikamaru as he walked past the bemused boy and into the school.

"What was that all about?" Shikamaru asked with a raised brow as he noticed Naruto as stiff as a ramrod. "What did he say to you, Naruto? Oy…Naruto?"

"I'll kill him," came the low mutter from the blond as he pounded a fist into the wall beside him with as much fury as he could muster. "I'll fucking kill him if it's the last thing I do."

"Dude…you're bleeding…" Shikamaru observed as he scratched his head in growing confusion. "You sure you don't want…"

"Let's go!" came the curt interruption. "First…we have to make a quick pit stop at Takeshi's place…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes: **Wow, thanks for the response so far. I'm really glad you're enjoying what you see. Also, please note that the 'dead-shall-come-to-life' in this story, so all those characters that got off'ed by Kishimoto-san in the manga, just might magically appear somewhere down the line. Ah, the power of fiction.

Enjoy and again, feedback is my Gatorade. Thanks!

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**Chapter Two**

Karin adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose as she slurped noisily on her milkshake. She wondered if she could kick Suigetsu beneath the table for how obnoxious he was acting with his new handheld video game. Juugo, as usual, seemed to be spacing out as he stared out the diner window; his gentle features lost in thought. Karin wondered if he was still worried about breaking up with that chick from 3-2.

"He's late," she finally grumbled as she glanced at the door of the establishment and then at her watch. Twirling a strand of her long red hair, she slumped even more gracelessly on the seat. "What's taking him so long?"

"Who knows?" came the absent-minded reply from the blue-haired boy sitting across her. However, a loud of whoop of excitement as he cleared the next level earned him a frustrated kick on his shin. "The hell, you bitch!" he bellowed, ignoring the irritated looks from the other customers. "What did you do that -?"

"Here he is," Karin interrupted with a breathless sigh as she watched Sasuke walk into the diner. It wasn't a surprise to see most of the female heads, and a few guys, turn in appreciation. Karin gloated inwardly at the knowledge that she was a part of his tight-knit posse, even though there were times she was sure Sasuke couldn't give a shit if anyone was in his posse or not. It didn't bother her though. She was resilient and oblivious like that.

"How did it go?" she asked, pouting a little as he sat beside Suigetsu, who was still engrossed in his dumb game. He could at least acknowledge their team captain's presence. "Is he joining us?"

"No," came the snapped reply. Sasuke motioned for the waitress to come over and ordered a burger and fries for himself. God, he was still irritated with the way the whole thing had gone down. If only he had a few more minutes and Shikamaru hadn't shown his ugly mug of a face, Sasuke was sure he would have at least managed to steal a kiss or two. Or even gotten to second base.

"Ah man," Suigetsu finally managed to say as he dragged himself into the conversation. "You sure you asked him properly?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow, wondering again why he had chosen Suigetsu as a part of the team. Oh yeah, he was a damn good fighter. Shit. Goodness knows he could do without him.

"Yeah, Suigetsu, what do you mean?" Karin chirped in with a look of righteous anger on behalf of Sasuke. "Are you saying that he can't woo anyone to join us?"

"So far, not so good," came the sneer from the gamer. "We need one more player to complete the team and Naruto's the strongest fighter in the school…at least from what Sasuke says and he hasn't managed to snag him yet. Major fail…ouch! Goddamnit!" He held his aching ribs as Sasuke had jabbed him there with an elbow. "Anyone kick or punch me again and I'm quitting."

"Fine," came the mumbled reply from their team captain. "Quit. See if I give a fuck."

"I'm not quitting," Karin announced needlessly, smiling and hoping Sasuke would dish out a compliment at her loyalty. "I'm with you all the way."

"You and every other air head…" Suigetsu began, but quickly ducked as the salt shaker came flying towards him. Juugo, who had been quiet throughout the whole thing, caught the object deftly and set it back on the table with a wan smile. He looked pale and Sasuke wondered if he wasn't taking this break-up thing a bit too hard. He needed Juugo to be at his best for the first matches in the upcoming tournament and didn't need the big guy to be this morose.

"You okay, Juu?" he asked, promptly tightening his lips as he spied the duo walking past the diner. And as if things couldn't get worse…

"Isn't that Naruto?" Karin asked, pointing towards the blond and his dark-haired companion. There was still a look of annoyance on Naruto's features and Sasuke sighed inwardly, knowing he was the cause of that. Great. If Naruto had always hated him, there was no doubt he wanted to kill Sasuke now.

_And I had to give him an ultimatum. Way to go, Sasuke. _

However, what other choice did he have? He has known Naruto since their first year as freshmen, even though they weren't in the same class. Who could ignore the handsome blond loud-mouth anyway? Naruto has always fascinated him, as much as he had not gone out of his way to be 'friendly'. It wasn't as if Naruto had signed up for any sports team while Sasuke had wormed his way through basketball and baseball in his first and second years and now his current position as team captain of the Martial Arts Club. They weren't rivals in that sense. If anything, Sasuke assumed that Naruto was always upset with him over his popularity with the female population, something Sasuke couldn't control … as much as he wanted to. He hadn't made his sexual preferences any secret neither did he go about flaunting it to the world. Many of the girls assumed he was bisexual anyway – something that seemed to turn them on even more.

But then again…girls were strange creatures. Look at Karin for example.

"…fucking team Cloud bugging us again…"

At the mention of their rival team from Hiro High School, Sasuke could feel his appetite waning. Okay, so he had blown his chance to get Naruto to have sex with him, but damn it! They did need him if they were to beat the toughest two teams in the country – Akatsuki and Cloud. Forget the fact that Cloud had three women on their team, they were the coldest bitches this side of Tokyo.

"Do you want me to ask him?" Juugo asked, his voice causing his teammates to blink at him in surprise. He rarely spoke and when he did…well, they listened.

"Think he'll listen to you?" Suigetsu replied, rolling his eyes as he eyed his game again. "No one else takes you seriously in school, remember? They just think you're some dumb moron who hulks around and stayed back for a couple a-years. In fact…_sonofabitch!_" This time he was rubbing his aching head and glaring at a huffing Karin, who had risen from her seat.

"You apologize to him this instant, Suigetsu, you bastard! Juugo's the nicest guy you'd ever meet and you know it!"

"Blah, blah…."

"Suigetsu!"

"It's okay, Karin," Juugo cut in with a small smile as he waved his hands to calm the infuriated female. "I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't be though," Karin mumbled, still frowning at the blue-haired unapologetic teammate. "He's always mean to you. You should just clobber him one time and that will get him to shut up…don't you think, Sasuke?" she added sweetly, sitting down again as she blushed at the looks that had come her way from aggravated customers. The owner of the diner was not looking very pleased as he hovered by the counter with arms folded across his broad chest.

"Where is Sai?" was all their team captain said as he downed his drink quickly.

Karin scowled and refused to answer. Suigetsu was back to his game, and it was Juugo left to respond. "He had an art club thing to attend to."

"Call him," Sasuke commanded as he rose to his feet. "I need to see him tonight at my place."

"Again?" Karin muttered beneath her breath. Sasuke ignored the comment and eyed his motley crew…save a certain blond that he hoped would join them soon enough.

"Stop fucking around and practice as long as you can this evening," he advised with a frown. "We have the dojo all afternoon tomorrow, so let's make the best of it."

They watched him leave and Suigetsu, for the first time, lowered his game to the table and bit his lower lip. "Something's on his mind," he finally said.

"Well, you finally noticed, Captain Obvious," came the sarcasm-laced retort from Karin. "If he doesn't get his shit together by tournament time, we are fucked. You too, Juu." She managed a small smile towards their silent friend. "I'm sure you'll get over ….whatever her name was. There are many other girls who would die to be your girlfriend."

Who was she kidding? Suigetsu was right in one thing, although it was a wrong assumption. Due to his height and sometimes slow reaction to most ordinary things, Juugo was teased a lot by others. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed and couldn't read for shit when called on in class to do something. However, only Sasuke had seen the hidden power in the gentle giant and had recruited him into the club when no one else gave him a chance.

It was one of the many reasons Karin loved their brooding captain. Sasuke could always see what others couldn't. It was just a great pity he couldn't recognize her feelings for him….yet.

"Come on," she finally said as she rose to her feet and stretched. "Let's get moving. You heard the boss. Practice…my place?"

"Yup!" came the enthusiastic reply from Suigetsu. "Hopefully you have food in your house this time around."

"Shut up!"

"Ouch! I swear Karin if you hit me one more time I'll…!"

Juugo smiled at their antics, knowing full well the hidden emotions that simmered beneath their aggressive attitudes. However, he planned on meeting with the elusive blond soon. Hopefully, he would succeed where his captain had failed.

* * *

It wasn't hard to find Takeshi, a high school dropout, who hung out in a congested and slightly claustrophobic electronics shop in the heart of Shinjuku. His telltale dreadlocks were dyed a shocking shade of red and pink today, and he picked his nose as he listened to the tirade from the angry blond and his wary companion.

"Are you listening to me?" Naruto screamed, with a pound of his fist on the dingy counter. "I want my money back!"

Takeshi yawned and stabbed a sign behind him with a stubby finger. 'NO REFUNDS' was written with red marker on a cardboard paper that dangled precariously on its perch. Stuck beneath pictures of naked women and motorbikes, Naruto had the feeling the sign hadn't been there when he bought the tickets a week ago. He tried to even his breathing, tried to make himself see less red and…

"You fucker!" he roared and dove over the counter, grabbing a hold of Takeshi's dashiki (jeez, did the guy think he was African?) to shake him roughly. "Where's my money, you lying sack of shit?"

"Let him go, Naruto," Shikamaru implored, trying to wedge himself between the struggling couple. "Hey! Enough, man!"

"Ma….man….manhandling me like that," Takeshi wheezed and straightened out the wig on his head. Figures, thought Shikamaru absently. "You know how hard it was to get those tickets?" He pointed a finger into Naruto's face. "You should be thanking me, blondie."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto sneered. "The tickets you printed in your basement, huh? Damn it! I want my….!"

"Here!" Takeshi interrupted, whipping out a set of tickets and spreading them out with a flourish. "Primo tics, man. Floor seats…exhibition game between the American basketball team and our…"

"I don't want to watch basketball, Takeshi," Naruto emphasized coldly. "I want my money or REAL motherfucking tickets to the swim meet."

"What makes you think those tickets are fake anyway?" Takeshi finally asked with a huff. "They're as real as they come!"

"Come to think of it," Shikamaru asked thoughtfully, " They do look real enough, we could get in easy and no one would think twice about it. What's the big deal, Naruto? We've snuck into bars with illegal shit before."

"It's not the same," Naruto mumbled, feeling his cheeks heat up at the memory of Sasuke's threat. He knew he shouldn't let it bother him. He could still walk up to Kusanagi's gates and present the tickets, but if Sasuke held his end of the bargain and made sure the guards didn't let them in…urgh!

_And let's not forget you blew your shot with Amaru…_

_But you have three more days to say 'yes' and all this would be blown away…_

"Oh God," he groaned and leaned his head on the counter, feeling a headache fast approaching. Goddamn Sasuke and his fucked up ultimatum. I mean, what the hell?

"You okay, man?" Takeshi asked, poking Naruto's cheek with a pen, only to have it slapped away impatiently.

"Naruto…" Shikamaru began, now genuinely worried about Naruto's behavior. Since their departure from school, Naruto hadn't spoken much, especially about the random sighting of that Uchiha kid or what their conversation had been about. Whatever it was though, it was clearly messing with Naruto's mind.

"You sure you don't want the tix to floor seats?" Takeshi offered again, as he warily watched Naruto look up. "Okay, okay, how about this…" He dove behind the counter and for a moment all the students could hear were rummaging boxes and things crashing to the floor. Finally, the older boy stood up with a set of DVDs in his hands.

"Whoo!" Shikamaru all but shoved Naruto to the side as he noticed the scantily-clad women on the cover. "Suki Yamada…Anko Ai…my favorite women in the world," he ended with a sigh. "And the latest ones too!"

Takeshi looked smug. "You said it, pal. And I'll give it to you boys for free. See how nice I am? No one else would give you these babies without at least 10,000 yen as a down payment."

Naruto eyed the DVDs. Normally he would have been all over this, but Sasuke's threat hung like a cloud over him. Nothing seemed to give him joy now. The idea of giving himself to that bastard just to save his hide (as well as Shika, Kiba and Chouji's) was too much. The idea of getting even a suspension was not exactly what he wanted to deal with. His uncle, who was sponsoring this whole damn thing (education and living expenses that is), was not exactly lenient with his delinquent acts and if it wasn't for his travels around the world as a famous author - keeping him away from home most of the time - Naruto was sure Jiraiya would use him as a punching bag for getting in that much trouble.

"Let's go, Shika," he finally said, as he dragged himself away from Takeshi's presence and stepped into the city evening. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, opening them again as he waited for Shikamaru to load up the DVDs into his backpack.

They rode on Naruto's DN-01 in silence, stopping only to buy some takoyaki and Shika's new pair of baseball cleats. Coach Yamato wasn't going to lend him his anymore. The stingy bastard – Shika's assessment.

"So…wanna tell me what happened on the roof with Uchiha?" Shikamaru asked as they approached the quieter sections of the city. The houses here were much bigger as Naruto's uncle was loaded and could afford the extravagant homes. Shika found himself envying his friend in a way, although he knew that Naruto had lost his parents as a young kid in an accident and had no option but to live with his eccentric uncle. Naruto wasn't given allowances that easily, and if his uncle had known his nephew wanted 50,000 yen to spend on swim tickets…he was sure Naruto wouldn't be leaving the house all weekend. Hence Naruto's secret working hours at the road job to earn the money. Naruto had every right to be bummed about losing that much over fake tickets.

"Is that all he told you? That the tickets were fake? Did you show it to him?"

"He knew already, I guess," Naruto replied as he pulled up to Shikamaru's house. Shika's dad was a diplomat and worked at the embassy. Naruto had to wonder how his son ended up being such a lazy bastard. His mom on the other hand…

"You sure you're okay?" Shika asked, eyeing the pale countenance exposed as Naruto lifted the visor of the helmet. "You know if you want to talk or anything…"

"What are you? My shrink? Anyway, I'm not giving up on the tickets. We're going to get into Kusanagi or my name isn't Uzumaki Naruto."

His eyes narrowed in thought and determination for a moment. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, but decided not to, and with a flick of the visor, he gave a two fingered salute before peeling out of the driveway and down the narrow street. Shikamaru watched the bike round the corner (at a rather dangerous angle) before sighing with a shake of his head. Whatever was bugging Naruto, he sure as hell hoped it would be fixed soon. Dealing with the morose kid was definitely not something he wanted on his plate.

* * *

As he pulled up to his uncle's house, Naruto had to do a double take as he noticed the dark figure leaning against one of the lamp posts that lined the boulevard. He came to a stop, recognizing that hulking figure anywhere. He doubted he had ever spoken to the bigger kid before, but here he was in the flesh, waiting for him obviously.

"What do you want? And how do you know where I live?" Naruto asked rudely as he eyed Juugo, who pushed himself away from the post and walked towards the blond.

"Uzumaki Naruto?"

Naruto sighed and took off the helmet, running fingers through his hair before taking a deep breath. "Yes. It's me, Juugo. What the fuck do you want?"

"I'm Juu…" the other boy began, then blushed as he realized he was about to say something stupid. Naruto already knew his name. He backtracked and tried again. "Will you not reconsider?"

Naruto blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Joining us…the team," Juugo explained with a shy smile. "You are one of the best fighters in the school. You will make our team stronger….against Akatsuki and Cloud."

"Oh God, not you too," Naruto groaned and prepared to start up the engine again. "Look. I'm not into that sports slash tournament stuff. I'm more of a street fighter. I don't do well with rules and shit. Go find someone else."

Juugo remained silent, only staring at Naruto who was beginning to get flustered at the intense scrutiny as well as Juugo's looming height. "Listen! I'm flattered you guys want me for the team, but seriously I can't…"

"Fight me."

"Say what?"

"You fight me," Juugo repeated quietly. "If you beat me here, I will not bother you anymore."

"Yeah, and then if not you, that fucker, Sai will do it. Get away from the gate, Juugo. I'm tired as hell and want to take a shower and just get some rest, okay?"

"You will not fight me?"

"Hell no, I don't want to fight you!" Naruto yelled in irritation. "I'm tired! I've had a shitty day no thanks to that team captain of yours and now…the hell!"

He ducked at the blow that had come from nowhere, staggering and almost losing his footing as Juugo's fist smashed into the rear view mirror, taking it out with one hit. Naruto gasped at the damage in disbelief. His baby. His precious baby had been destroyed by this…

"You son-of-a-bitch!" he roared, as he flung himself at Juugo with a head butt into the bigger boy's torso. Listening to Juugo's grunt of pain was not satisfactory as Naruto formed a fist and drove it into Juugo's stomach. This time, the bigger boy doubled over in agony…only to spring up with an agility that betrayed his height and build. He came for Naruto again, this time connecting with the surprised boy's left cheek. Naruto's world exploded in pain, his eyes watering as blood filled his mouth at the assault. However, this only did more to fuel his anger and he raised a leg to deliver a round house kick that was so fast, Juugo barely had the time to dodge it. He hit the solid brick wall that surrounded the Jiraiya compound, wincing as his head struck it with a low thud. Naruto grabbed a fistful of Juugo's shirt and slammed his fist into the boy's face, sneering as a small spray of blood escaped the boy's now swollen lips. Something white glistened beneath the lamp light and Naruto knew he had a done some damage and gotten a loose tooth for a souvenir.

"Had enough," he panted harshly. "Or want some more, you sick fuck. That bike was expensive, shithead!" He released Juugo and half-crawled towards his mode of transportation with thoughts of how to salvage the damage, pay for it or kill Juugo…whichever came first.

Juugo scrambled up into sitting position, chuckling softly as he wiped his bloody lips. His cheek would swell to the size of a football by tomorrow and his stomach and chest would be aching for a few more days. Now he knew why Sasuke wanted him on the team. Naruto's blows were lethal, and Juugo had the feeling he hadn't even been using his full strength.

"My bike," Naruto moaned as he cradled the broken piece of his ride. "Uncle is gonna kill me."

"I'll pay for it, Uzumaki Naruto," Juugo replied as he rose to his feet. "I apologize, but I only wanted you to see how serious I was."

"My bike…" was the only mournful response he received.

"I ask again, even though I know I promised I wouldn't…please consider joining our team. Sasuke needs you to make us complete."

"My…"

_Sasuke needs you. _

_/It's you I want./_

_Sasuke…needs…me…._

Naruto could feel the wheels spinning in his mind. If Sasuke needed him that badly for his team, then he could promise to join the morons if Sasuke took back his threat to report about the fake tickets and whatever other transgressions in Naruto's past. He could use this to bargain his way into Kusanagi Girls and into Amaru's arms. _Yes!_

He smirked and then rose to his feet. "Say, Juugo. Maybe I'll think about it. This fighting thing might not be so bad after all. You convinced me, buddy."

Juugo's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it. "Rea…really? You will join us?"

"Well on one condition…several actually, but yeah…I'll have a talk with your team captain, eh? I'm sure he's bound to see things my way…if he wants me that badly."

"Thank you, Uzumaki Naruto," Juugo replied, reaching out to pump Naruto's hands in a firm handshake. "You have no idea how much this means to us."

Naruto almost felt like a heel at the genuine look of delight and relief on Juugo's features. The guy might be dumb, but he seemed like a nice enough person. But what the hell? It was his ass on the line…._literally._ No way was he going to allow Sasuke to touch it as long as he lived, and if this was the only way to save himself, then so be it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes:** The bad thing about starting out with a basic summary and writing as you go along is that the story seems to take a life of its own *lol* But thanks! for the feedback/comments I've received so far. It's very much appreciated.

* * *

**Chapter Three:**

"Is it just me, or did Hinata's boobs grow over night?"

"How do you mean?" Naruto snatched the photograph from Chouji's hands and eyed the image of the well-endowed young woman from Class 3-4. The school's mandatory blue swimsuit did nothing to hide the curves that made Hinata Hyuuga one of the most sought after girls in the school. So what if she blushed at every little thing, and she barely spoke above a whisper, or that she had a scary-looking cousin that could kick your ass if you warranted it? It was the body that counted.

"Check this out," Chouji said, as he whipped out another picture of the girl. "Hinata circa Friday last week. Notice the way the boobs curve on the outside as she leans down…fast-forward to the picture in your hands, Naruto, my friend. Notice anything different?"

"Maybe she's just turning the wrong way or something," Naruto concluded as he took another bite of his rice cake. Miss Fuyutsuki, the cook/mother hen, had been nice enough to make a few for him this morning. He and Chouji were currently sitting beneath the large oak tree next to the swimming pool. However, it was only junior high school students swimming at the moment, so nothing much to gawk at…unless you were into the Lolita thing.

"Anyway, I'm thinking of joining the Martial Arts Club," Naruto mumbled as he polished off the rest of the cake and dusted his hands together.

"Whazzat?" Chouji asked, not really paying that much attention as he browsed through his stash. He had a few students to meet after school to make some sales, and finding that darn picture of Ino in her bra…

"I said I'm joining the Martial Arts Club."

"Why, dude? You said you hated those things."

_To save my butt…and yours too come to think of it,_ Naruto thought, as he absently traced the band-aid stuck on his bruised cheek, but he said instead. "Well you know…any excuse to kick some ass. And besides, I've gotta beef up my resume. Or my uncle's gonna have my head."

"Oh yeah…when's he coming back? Found it!" He waved the precious picture and drooled for a moment over the pretty blonde's image. "Bam! She's fine."

"Next week," Naruto replied as he noticed the duo approaching with an inward groan. "Shit. Hide those things, douche bag! Karin the Dyke's approaching."

Chouji cursed beneath his breath and tried to stuff the envelopes into his backpack, but Karin was quick, so was the dark-haired boy standing beside her. Both were in white gi and the black belt laced around their waists was a clear sign of their status. It wasn't as if Karin was ugly, Naruto surmised. She was just one of those Sasuke drool-bots that was as loud as she was tall. She was supposedly one of the smartest girls in the school, but that piercing near her jaw and the way her eyes could turn 'evil' in a second if things didn't go her way, had earned her the nickname. Not that she seemed to give a fuck. As vice-president of the senior year class, she enjoyed wielding her power whenever and wherever she could. She smirked and folded her arms across her chest, seeming to sneer at the two boys still sprawled beneath the tree.

"Well, well, if it isn't the perverted duo. How are you Chouji and Naruto?"

"Fine thanks and you?" Naruto asked sweetly, a false grin plastered on his face. He watched Karin's cheeks darken and sniggered. It was so easy to get the girl in a tizzy.

"Hello Naruto…Chouji," Sai greeted with a smile of his own. However, it didn't quite seem to reach his eyes and Naruto shivered at the sight. Creepy. Sai was in class 3-1 with Sasuke and his cronies. He looked as pale as a sheet most of the time, even though one would assume with the blistering summers they had here, the kid would have gotten a tan by this time, but apparently not. Sai was usually quiet – a killer artist though as his work was almost always featured in the main hall of the high school, and he won several National Art competitions and what not. He liked to keep to himself, and many assumed he was more into the guys than girls, since he didn't seem really interested in courting the members of the opposite sex. No wonder he and Sasuke were a couple…if the rumors were true. They seemed alike…in a way.

"So Naruto…are you coming with us?" Sai asked.

"Coming…?"

"Yes," Karin replied with a more genuine smile. "Juugo told us the wonderful news this morning. You'll be joining the team, right?"

"Uh…" Naruto cursed inwardly. He had deliberately avoided the group this morning; thankful that Sasuke and his crew weren't in his class or he was sure he wouldn't have escaped meeting the captain much sooner than he would have liked. He still had to think of a way to bring up the whole signing-up-and-letting-Sasuke-give-him-a-break type deal.

"…follow us…" Karin was saying. "Sasuke's in the dojo too."

_But I don't want to see that bastard!_ Naruto wailed inside as he rose to his feet slowly. However, he couldn't delay the inevitable. Their conversation was bound to happen sooner or later, why wait?

"See you later, Chouji," he began, but his plump friend was already on his feet.

"This, I've gotta see," Chouji said with a smirk as he shouldered his backpack. "I should let Shika know too."

"Hey, this isn't a freakin' convention!" Naruto growled, although his cheeks darkened with embarrassment. "You don't have to call the whole school."

But Chouji wasn't listening and Sai and Karin were already beginning to lead the way. Naruto sighed and placed his hands behind his head, staring at the heavens and wondering if he could have a quick smoke without the teachers catching him. Soon enough, the familiar chants and cries from the karate students filled his ears as they made the turn and approached the long low bungalow that housed the school's quite accomplished Martial Arts Club. Over the years, Konoha High's students have been tops in tournaments all over the world – the proof lay in the number of trophies and awards that were housed in a single (but quite large) room in the building. It was a tradition that was to be upheld at all costs and team captain Uchiha Sasuke was not about to let his school or his dojo down.

Naruto and Chouji were made to take off their school shoes as they were ushered into the building. The wooden floor felt cool beneath Naruto's feet, but the action was fast and furious in the different sections before him. There seemed to be beginner and intermediate classes with colored belt students being taught by a few black belt instructors, one of whom was Neji Hyuuga…the scary cousin of Hinata that would have must likely killed Chouji and Naruto if he ever discovered they had half-naked pictures of his relative. The other instructor was Rock Lee, an eccentric kid in Naruto's class that liked to yell as loud as he could when it came to normal conversation. Naruto figured he was prime for being an instructor like this – how else could he exercise those powerful lungs of his?

"In here," Karin said, holding out an arm to stall Chouji from entering. "Team Taka members only," she added with a smug smile before sliding the door shut in his face.

_What a bitch,_ Naruto thought with a light shake of his head, only to gawk in undeniable awe and admiration and what was taking place before him.

The room was smaller than the others, but not by much. Important-looking scrolls with spiritual or motivational inscriptions, Naruto was sure, lined the walls along with solemn faces in photographs of previous masters who had risen to great heights as a part of Konoha's tradition. Juugo, donning two band-aids on his forehead and cheek (which was still swollen by the way), was seated at the other side of the room, along with Master Hatake Kakashi – the head of the Martial Arts division for the school. Their gazes, like Naruto's, were trained on the battling duo in the middle of the dojo. Kicks and punches were thrown so fast, Naruto had to concentrate long enough to know that the flurry of bodies belonged to Sasuke and Suigetsu.

_Damn._

"Sit," Karin whispered as she motioned for Naruto to join she and Sai on the floor. "Awesome, isn't it?" she asked in a slightly breathless voice. "It's beautiful to watch them fight."

Naruto wasn't sure if beautiful was the word to describe it, but it was something…._powerful_ alright. He had never seen Sasuke fight before…had heard rumors about it…but seeing it in person…phew. It seemed like the boy was releasing flashes of lightning from his body. _He was just that fast. _

"_Yame!_" came the firm, but low command from Kakashi, causing the boys to fly apart, Suigetsu with two spins in the air and a light thud on his toes…Sasuke a single spin, landing on his toes before settling down with a deep breath. Sweat rolled off their heaving bodies, hair plastered to their forehead and cheeks as their eyes blazed with the thrill from the spar. Naruto could feel his body thrum with barely suppressed excitement. Was this really the Martial Arts Club? All he had imagined was the boring routines he had noticed in the main building, but in here…it seemed as if he was watching something special and unique. This wasn't just fighting. This was something entirely different- the way the Martial Arts was really supposed to be.

He loved it!

"Karin and Sai, your turn," Kakashi said, glancing over at the new visitor with a small smile. _So, he's finally here. Just what are you made of, Uzumaki Naruto?_

"Yes, sensei," came the quick replies as the two rose to their feet and took their positions in the middle of the dojo.

Sasuke reached for his towel and a bottle of water at the side of the room, only to freeze as he finally noticed who was sitting there. If his heart had been racing during and after the spar with Suigetsu, Sasuke was sure it was bound to leave his chest and fall to the floor any minute now. Hoping the blush that was flooding his cheeks would be attributed to his exertions; he wiped his face and winced as their gazes finally met. He couldn't read the expression in Naruto's eyes, but at least it wasn't disgust or hate, so that was a good thing.

"So you finally showed up, eh?" Suigetsu whispered as he sat beside Naruto with a smirk. "Welcome to the mad house."

"Thanks," Naruto whispered back, hoping that Sasuke wouldn't sit beside him. He gave an inward sigh of relief as he noticed the dark-haired boy moving towards his sensei and Juugo. Unfortunately, this meant that he would have to keep staring at Sasuke since they were directly opposite each other. Shit.

"Ready…" Kakashi was saying as Karin and Sai fell into their stances. "_Hajime!_"

Naruto couldn't resist the gasp of amazement that escaped his lips as an explosion seemed to occur right off the bat. Karin and Sai had moved so fast towards each other….their blows so precise and direct, that the sound of flesh against flesh was mind numbing. For all her dykeness and general bitchy attitude, Naruto had to give it to the girl, she was kickass. Like Sasuke and Suigetsu, watching Karin and Sai move around the dojo was a lesson in concentration and focus. Like bullets, they were relentless in their blows, even though it didn't seem like they were hurting each other, but just enough to know that if they were going at it at full strength…body parts would be damaged pretty badly.

Man, he wanted to be a part of this. He couldn't believe he had been missing out all this time!

"_Yame!_" Kakashi said, ending the match after a while. "Take five, class. Uzumaki Naruto…come with me."

Naruto half-stumbled to his feet, grinning at the panting Karin and Sai. "Great spar, guys."

"Thanks," Sai replied with a smile that looked a bit more genuine. "Can't wait to see what you did to give Juugo that bruise on his cheek."

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I've seen Juu with an injury," Karin replied with a light chuckle as she drank thirstily from her water bottle. "Can't wait to see you in action, Naruto."

Naruto had the grace to blush as he stepped through a door which led into Kakashi's office. The man was now sitting behind his desk, which was cluttered with papers and books, a desktop computer and photographs of himself and a rather pretty purple-haired woman.

"Have a seat, Naruto," Kakashi invited with a warm smile. Naruto did as he was told, really taking a look at the white-haired man who was considered a mystery to many students in the school. He always wore a skin tight black mask that hid his mouth from view and one of the rumors floating around was that he had an infectious disease likely to cause death if exposed for even one second. Naruto didn't buy that very much.

"So you've decided to join us, hmm? Or better yet, Team Taka."

"I guess," Naruto replied with a light shrug. No…wait a minute…wasn't he supposed to use this as leverage for Sasuke? If he signed up now, he couldn't back away, and there was no way he could give Sasuke his ultimatum. Ah for fuck's sake!

"You seem conflicted…still thinking about it?" Kakashi asked with a raised brow. "Juugo tells me you're as good as the rumors say. How else could one of our fastest fighters get hit by you…three times?"

"Maybe he was too slow and wasn't going at full strength, how should I know?" came the mumble.

"But Juugo says you weren't using your full strength either…so…would you like to fight me first to see how good you are?"

Naruto's eyes widened at the challenge and then he frowned, wondering if this was a test. "You want me to…fight you…the master of Martial Arts? Sure. So I can get my ass kicked in front of everyone, eh?"

"You should have more confidence in yourself, Naruto," Kakashi replied with a good-natured chuckle. "Sasuke praises your skills and swears you can give me a run for my money."

Naruto's cheeks flared with color. How the hell did Sasuke know about his fights anyway? And besides, who was he to brag to everyone or anyone about his skills? Although…he did have to admit that it felt sort of …good to know that Sasuke thought so highly of him.

_That's because he wants you in THAT way,_ his mind screamed as a painful reminder. _Of course, he's going to butter up everyone so you think he thinks you're that awesome. Sneaky bastard._

"Well?" Kakashi asked as he glanced at the clock on the wall with obvious impatience. "Want to give me a shot?"

"I don't have a uniform," Naruto muttered, deciding that if he was going to get his ass kicked, he might as well do it in style.

"Oh, not to worry, I'm sure we can find something in your size," Kakashi replied as he rose to his feet and opened a cupboard Naruto hadn't even noticed, behind him. "Here you go…" He tossed the clear plastic bag in which a white gi was encased. "The locker room is two doors on your right when you leave the office. Can't miss it."

Naruto nodded and rose to his feet. He took a deep breath and clutched the uniform to his chest. "Be back in a few," he mumbled and dashed out before he could change his mind. He barely glanced at the curious looks that came his way from the other fighters, especially the pleased look on Sasuke's features as the dark-haired boy had to thank Juugo again in his mind for what he did to persuade Naruto to join them.

"Man, I wanna fight him next," Suigetsu said with a whoop as he stretched out his arms. "If he could kick your ass, Juugo, I want a piece of him."

Juugo chuckled, but Kakashi interrupted with a light smirk. "I'll be taking him first, unfortunately."

"What?" came the unanimous cries from his students. Sasuke rose to his feet, looking aghast. He had hoped he'd be the one to fight Naruto first. "But…sensei…"

"You'll get your turn eventually, but for now…if he's to fit into the team, I need to know his skill level." Kakashi frowned lightly in thought. "There's so much energy stored up in that kid, it's threatening to burst if it's not channeled properly. Hn. I dare say if he went at full strength, none of you would be standing after a single punch."

"Whoa…" Karin whispered in awe. Maybe she ought to set her sights on Naruto now. He was cute…in a wild sort of way.

Sasuke gave a reluctant nod, knowing full well what Kakashi meant. He had witnessed Naruto fight twice, and what he had seen had sent goose bumps of not only fear at the monster he had unleashed on his opponents that night, but a strange and almost perverted thrill of pleasure at how every punch and kick had affected him. He wanted to feel that again – fighting or fucking Naruto, Sasuke had no doubt it would be one hell of an adrenaline rush.

"Here I am," came the familiar voice that had the fighters staring at the blond who was strolling towards them still adjusting his belt. Sasuke felt lightheaded as he noticed the brief expanse of Naruto's chest exposed and kicked himself inwardly as he forced himself to look passive and intent on the match at hand. He barely felt Karin press herself against him as they all settled down to watch their teacher and the newcomer.

"Don't hold back too much," Kakashi said as they bowed to each other in respect. "I won't break…and even if I do, I'll know you're more than ready for our rivals. Ready, Uzumaki Naruto?"

Naruto smirked and fell into a stance…or rather he mimicked Kakashi's stance. He had never taken a formal fighting class, so he wasn't really sure of the protocol. "Ready, sensei."

What happened next sent Naruto flying into the dojo wall with a sickening thud. He blinked and shook his head, wondering just what the hell had taken place. "What the…?"

Kakashi seemed to still be in the same position, although his hands were joined at the wrist, his fingers curved as if forming a bowl with his hands. What kind of a blow was that?

"I'm sorry," Kakashi said, although he sounded anything but. "Was that too fast for you?"

"Fuck…" Naruto muttered and stood up slowly. He took a step and then blinked hard again as his vision seemed to double. His stomach tightened and a pain he could not explain exploded deep within him. "Urgh!" He fell to his knees, panting harshly. What ….what was happening to him?

"Come now, Naruto," Kakashi cajoled with a slight edge in his voice. "That can't be all you have to offer. I know you're much stronger than that. Come at me with all you've got or else…"

"Shut up, you sonofabitch," Naruto growled as he stumbled to his feet. He dashed towards Kakashi with an angry howl, only to find himself flung against the wall again. His vision went dark for a moment, and he could barely hear Karin's cry of 'you went too hard on him, sensei!" in the background.

Great. Talk about getting an ass-whooping so quickly, Naruto thought with a groan as he took several deep breaths to gather himself. He lifted his lashes slowly, and for some reason, found himself searching for and finding Sasuke's eyes. What was he looking for? Some kind of encouragement to go on? Wasn't it Sasuke who had gushed to his sensei that he was 'such-an-awesome-fighter'? What was he doing lying on the floor like a scared chicken afraid to stand up to finish this? He wanted to prove not just to Kakashi that he was good, or to the other fighters that he could be a part of them, but especially to Sasuke – he wanted the dark-haired boy's claims about his skills to be validated. Hell, he wanted to be acknowledged.

"Well? Is this it?" Kakashi asked with an exaggerated show of disappointment. "And here I thought…urgh!" He barely dodged the blow intended for his jaw, but grunted in pain as Naruto had quickly followed that with a knee kick to the older man's stomach. Naruto wasn't done yet for he seemed to do a headstand and with his feet, gave a series of kicks to Kakashi's torso that sent the teacher skidding across the floor and into a heap against the opposite side of the room.

"Huh." Naruto huffed and spun to his feet, crouching and watching with a smirk of satisfaction on his features. "Don't count me down and out yet, sensei."

"Whoo! Way to go, Naruto!" Karin applauded in delight. "You were…watch out!"

But Naruto had seen it coming as his gaze had been trained on the immobile figure all this time. Faster than ever, Kakashi had risen to his feet, and seemed to fly towards Naruto, who leapt into the air to dodge the attack. He wasn't fast enough though as Kakashi delivered another blow to the side of Naruto's head. Naruto grabbed a hold of the man's arm and twisted it sharply, ending with a solid kick to Kakashi's ribs. All this was done in the space of a few seconds as they both landed to the floor with light grunts.

"Not bad," Kakashi approved with a smirk. "You just might make me bleed yet."

"Hah." Naruto spat with a matching smirk, eyes sparkling with unbridled delight. "Here I come, sensei!"

As they fought again, the rest of the team watched in awe, none more so than Sasuke whose features still looked impassive, but within, he bubbled with pleasure at the sight before him.

_Naruto, Naruto, Naruto…you have no idea how beautiful you are, do you? God, I can't wait to get my hands on you – to show you just how much pleasure you bring to me._

"Yeah!" Suigetsu screamed and waved his hands as Naruto now stood panting over the prone figure of Kakashi. "Finish him, Naruto!"

"Yeah! Finish him!" Karin repeated. Yep! It was official. She was now gunning for Naruto. She was sure he didn't have a girlfriend, so who knows? She just might have a chance with the blond hottie.

Naruto looked sheepish and scratched the bridge of his nose as he listened to the approval from the others. He couldn't remember the last time he had the peanut gallery applaud his efforts after a fight. This was new…and he liked it actually.

Kakashi sat up, albeit gingerly (Juugo hadn't been kidding when he said Naruto's blows were painful as hell) and smiled warmly. "Looks like they approve, Naruto. So…what do you say? Will you join Team Taka? Your skills are still rough, but we can help polish them and make you a much better fighter."

Naruto looked into the weird colored eyes of the older man (one seemed gray, the other a light chestnut) and then glanced towards Sai, Juugo, Karin and Sasuke whose gaze seemed to dare and yet burn right through his soul. He wanted to…but yet…

"Just one thing, sensei," Naruto finally said. "I'll join on one condition."

"Oh? What's that?"

Naruto folded his arms across his chest and nodded towards Sasuke, who now looked flummoxed as all eyes now seemed to be trained on him.

"I'll join as soon as Sasuke takes back his ultimatum."

"Ultima…what?" Karin asked in bemusement. "What's that all about?"

Sasuke felt his ears burn with humiliation and he glared at Naruto's smirking visage. Jesus! So this was the whole reason for…

"Fine," he grated through clenched teeth. "I take it back. Happy now?"

"Tremendously," Naruto replied with a wide grin. "And with witnesses, you can't back out now, Sasuke. Haha!"

Kakashi shook his head. "I don't know what that's all about, but as long as you're now a member of the team…you can begin by scrubbing the floors with Sai. Welcome to team Taka, Naruto." He patted the teen's shoulder, trying to stifle a chuckle at Naruto's incredulous expression at the thought of scrubbing the floors on his first day.

"Nice to have you on the team," Suigetsu said as he held out his hand for a handshake, only to toss Naruto over his shoulder and to the floor. "Haha! Got you!"

"Why you…!" Naruto pounced on the laughing boy, while Karin watched their antics with a giggle.

"We feel much more complete now, don't we, Sasuke? ….Sasuke?" She spun around as she received no reply, only to notice that the other boy was no longer with them. She dashed out of the dojo just in time to see Sasuke angrily kicking at the wall with a loud curse that seemed torn from the depths of him.

"What's his problem?" Sai asked quietly as he stood beside his teammate.

"I don't know…" came the bemused reply. "But methinks it has something to do with that ultimatum thingy. Whatever it was…it must have meant a lot to Sasuke."


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning:** Self-Gratification

**Notes:** Thanks again for the comments!

* * *

**Chapter Four:**

The slam of the front door ushered in Sasuke's arrival, quickly followed by the removal of his shoes and the pounding of his feet up the flight of stairs that led to his bedroom. The subsequent slam of his door completed the short scene as his mother stuck her head out of the kitchen with a bemused frown.

"Goodness, his temper isn't getting any better."

"I'll start charging him rent that's what," came the mutter behind the newspaper that currently hid Fugaku Uchiha's face from view. "Next time he slams another door in this house…"

His wife's giggle had him blushing faintly, and she didn't help matters by placing a light kiss on the top of his head. "Hmm….oddly enough, he reminds me of someone. Mr. Grouchy."

"I am not grouchy," Fugaku mumbled and turned another page. "Hn. Looks like Itachi's business is doing well overseas. His company made the economy section. Stocks are going up."

"That's good to hear," Mikoto replied with a smile of pride. Her boys were successful in their own right; Sasuke with his academic and sporting achievements and Itachi, who was currently in Hong Kong although his travels took him all over Asia and Europe. He was hoping to expand his sports drink line to the American market and besides a call every once in a while, they rarely heard from their elusive first son. It was no wonder Sasuke was all but fawned upon…at least on her end. She wanted to enjoy being with her teenage boy before he made the dreaded decision to move out on his own. She sighed softly and peeled the onions even slower than before. Her boy was growing up, that much was true. It only seemed like yesterday he was still crawling all over the living room floor on his hands and knees, or sitting on her lap listening to the stories she'd read to him. Oh, how she wished she could go back to those times when he looked up to her and could tell her anything and everything. Now, she considered herself lucky if she got a simple 'hello' when he came back from school.

Ah well, boys will be boys, she deduced, and she'd just have to make the best of it. For now, dinner was important. She just had to make sure the baking chicken wasn't burned to a crisp...again.

* * *

Sasuke's room was huge…perhaps huge was too much a word…but it was impressive all the same. The black and white theme was something he had decided on the day he turned thirteen and his father had given him the option of redecorating the place himself. It wasn't as if he wanted to copy his older brother – as Itachi's room was done in deep mauve and browns – but he wanted to stand out – to be an individual – to be seen as someone other than 'Itachi's Little Brother ™ - Damn, that had always pissed him off. So one could only imagine his joy when Itachi finally moved out of the house (and the city in general) after his graduation from college. No longer would he have to continue to live in his brother's shadow. He had worked hard to carve a niche for himself over the years, and Sasuke was darn proud of it.

The large flat screen plasma T.V was currently frozen in the midst of the one of the latest video games he had purchased – he must have forgotten to turn it off before leaving for school this morning. A brand new computer sat on a sturdy black oak desk that faced the windows, giving him a view of the swimming pool and garden (his mom's pride and joy) in the backyard. Text books, magazines and papers were neatly arranged on the desk, and a lone family picture – a portrait taken when he was eleven – sat close to the edge. There was a silver paper weight in the shape of a hawk that one of his uncles had given to him many years back, and it currently sat on top of his History essay which he was yet to proofread for submission tomorrow. There were two black wall–to-floor shelves which kept trophies or awards received from his sporting achievements and academic accomplishments to his favorite books and a rather impressive manga collection. This wasn't just any ordinary collection though, but the greats like _Akira, Fist of the North Star, Berserk, Dragonball,_ and _Astro Boy_. They just didn't make them like they used to, in his humble opinion.

His tie was flung off his neck and tossed onto the king-sized bed draped in black and white Egyptian cotton sheets. His shirt and blazer soon followed. Kicking off his pants, he padded into the bathroom in his boxers, eyeing his mother's handiwork. He could have sworn he had left the place in a mess this morning (as rushing to school was always a priority), but his mother had cleaned up and set new towels (even going as far as putting up some potpourri and fresh flowers). Hell! Even his basket of dirty laundry was gone.

"Why doesn't she just get a freakin' maid?" he muttered as he turned on the shower, deciding to forgo the bathtub tonight. It was somewhat embarrassing to know that his mother still took care of him like this – all the more reason for the hunt for his own apartment and soon. He had enough money saved up, and Sasuke was sure his father would have approved his leaving anyway. The old man was beginning to give him the same looks he had given Itachi when he felt the older boy was ready to hightail the nest.

He stepped out of the bathroom long enough to notice who was walking in with a light 'Excuse me' in salutation. _Sai._ His classmate was still dressed in his school uniform but was holding the information he had asked for.

"I'll be right out," Sasuke said with a nod as he motioned towards the couch. "Make yourself at home." _Like you really need any permission to do that._

He slammed the door shut in Sai's face – so he hadn't meant to slam it that hard, but he knew Sai had his sights set on him and the artist hadn't exactly made it a secret that he wanted Sasuke. The brief, but heated look he had given the team captain was enough to have Sasuke shuddering and diving into the safety of the warm sprays of the shower. He scrubbed himself down with rather vicious strokes as if hoping to wash away the gaze; however, it didn't take long for his thoughts to drift to one person – the_ only_ person who could cause him to lose his cool so easily.

_/Take back the ultimatum. /_

"Shit!" Sasuke struck the wall with a clenched fist in frustration. Naruto was smart. He had to give him that. He knew he could no longer dangle the threat of reporting the fake tickets or deny him the meeting with Amaru…not if he wanted to keep Naruto on the team.

But then again…

"…might not be such a bad thing after all," he thought aloud as he poured a generous amount of shampoo into his hair. With Naruto now on the team, he could see more of the blond during or after school practices, and even better, he could perhaps convince Naruto to spar with him…_alone_. All he had to do was make sure Suigetsu and the others weren't around on that day.

"Thought you had escaped me, eh, Naruto?" He chuckled softly to himself and closed his eyes as he rinsed off, focusing on the way the blond had looked during his fight with Kakashi. He could still see every strain of concentration and focus on that face – could still see the sheen of sweat that had coated and dripped off Naruto's skin in tiny clear drops. Sasuke's tongue tingled with the thought of licking it off slowly …_thoroughly_…of tasting the tangy saltiness of sweat and flesh, of having to hear those pants of exertion whispered in his ear, of having those strong hands and legs wrapped around his body as they made out in the middle of -

"Oh God," came the low groan as Sasuke leaned his head against the cool tiles, trying to even his sudden ragged breathing. His hand slid down his chest, caressing and pinching his hardened nipples gently before drifting to the clenching muscles of his torso and stomach. He moaned and sagged against the plexiglass; finding his swollen organ to caress and stroke into completion. He whispered the other boy's name like a mantra as his motions became more feverish and uneven. He squeezed his eyes shut at the heady rush of pleasure that made his knees weak, his lips parting with a small cry as he came hard and fast into his hand and against the tiles. The sticky evidence was quickly washed away with the shower's spray and Sasuke lifted his lashes slowly, struggling to control his breathing while trying to reassemble his disoriented mind from the orgasmic aftermath.

_Only in my dreams,_ he thought with a heavy sigh as he rinsed off again and turned off the shower. He reached for a towel and draped it around his waist…and then cursed as he realized he'd have to walk out of there with only this on and with Sai more than ready to pounce on him. However, he was more than ready to hit the other boy if he even thought of anything in that light. It was bad enough that everyone thought they were a couple…even Naruto had noticed it.

Speaking of which…why would Naruto really notice such a thing anyway? It wasn't as if he cared…right? He had never thought that Naruto would even give a concern to matters relating to him, and if such a rumor was enough to pique his interest, perhaps it meant in some little way that Naruto was just a tiny bit more aware of him than he let on. Sasuke tried to latch on to that thought as he walked into the bedroom. He barely glanced at Sai, who was lounging on the couch with a pocky stick stuck in his mouth as he played the video game.

"Interesting stuff about Team Akatsuki," Sai was saying as Sasuke walked into his closet to search for a pair of sweatpants. "Seems like Deidara is fully recovered and will be joining the team for the tournament."

Sasuke gave a light grunt and slipped into the comfortable cloth. He walked across the room and opened the manila envelope Sai had placed on his desk. Sitting on its edge, he ripped it open and read through the carefully typed documents. His lips tightened as he eyed the photograph of the blond teen from Seihou Gakuen. Deidara's terrible driving had landed him in an accident that nearly took his life about three months ago. Like Sai, he was an artist who regarded himself superior to everyone and anyone who dared to challenge him. It was safe to say that both he and Sai were rivals in every sense of the word as neither boy could stand each other.

"I thought for sure he was out for at least six months," Sai muttered with a curse as he sat up. "I wouldn't mind fighting him in the tournament. The bastard nearly sliced my cheek at the last art competition."

Sasuke raised a brow. "How so?"

"He pretended to be waving his carving knife about as he spoke to some guy, and he knew I was walking past and almost took out a chunk of my flesh. Permission to kill him when the time comes, Sasuke."

"Well not during the tournament," came the wry reply. "Don't want you or us getting disqualified. How about Cloud?"

"No changes," Sai replied with a shrug. "Kirabi's still in and last I heard Yugito will be returning to the country just in time for the tourney."

Sasuke nodded and stood up, stretching his arms above his head as the weariness of the day began to creep up to him. He ignored the faint blush and poignant look Sai gave him and began to count in his mind.

_One…two…three…_

"Sasuke…"

"Go home, Sai," came the sharp retort before the other boy could even finish. "I'm not in the mood today."

* * *

After school on Wednesday, Naruto found himself standing before the large ornate gate which led to the Inuzuka compound, clutching a brown bag full of fruits and some of Kiba's favorite candy to his chest. He captured his lower lip between his teeth and shook his head, wondering why he was suddenly doubtful of being in Kiba's presence all of a sudden.

/You don't kiss boys and _pretend_ that many times, Naruto./

Damn it! Was Sasuke right after all? Christ! It wasn't as if he and Kiba were into guys. And they only did it to amuse the girls in class – at least the few times they had done it. They weren't even long kisses – just Kiba pretending to be 'seme' or whatever the girls called it, and he dipping Naruto and placing a hard but quick kiss on his lips, after spouting some corny romantic movie lines the girls wanted to hear. It had meant nothing. They had laughed over it. They had both wiped their lips afterwards and gone their separate ways. So why then was Sasuke's stupid comment about the whole thing now bugging the crap out of him?

"You gonna keep standing there, Naruto?" Kiba asked as he stuck his head out the window of his bedroom on the second floor. "Can't open the gate?" Akamaru joined in by giving a light bark, his tail wagging in excitement as he noticed who it was.

Naruto looked up and managed a small smile, deciding to push aside the troubling thoughts and to focus on the visit. He had come to cheer up his sick friend. They'd hang out, talk smack, watch some porn maybe (if his parents weren't home), or just play some video games. Nothing to it.

"Get your ass down here and open the freakin' gate," he yelled back, giving his friend the middle finger in salute.

Kiba reciprocated the gesture with a laugh and motioned for Naruto to hang on. Five minutes later, they were sprawled before Kiba's T.V, rummaging through his stash of video games for something to keep them occupied for the rest of the day. Akamaru was happily gnawing on the bone Naruto had purchased for him, while Naruto eyed his friend's room with a small smile. He had known Kiba since they were in grade school. In fact, Kiba, Chouji and Shikamaru had been friends for that long. Kiba's mother was into Native American art, hence her son's room was filled with images of Indian chiefs and warriors. Even his blanket was a thick plush intricately designed item that his mom had purchased from a trip to the States. Evidence of Kiba's flu lay in the box of tissues and the two bottles of medicine on his night stand. Other than that, Kiba's room was still as messy and yet comfy as he always remembered.

"Heh, you still haven't taken down that poster of Anko, eh?" Naruto observed as he eyed the large blown up poster of the beautiful dark-haired girl clad in a white bikini that barely managed to hide her nipples from view. "I thought your mom was going batshit over it?"

"She's given up," Kiba replied with a chuckle as he finally found the right game and slid it into the game console. "I promised I'd get an A in one subject this school year and she's holding me to it."

Naruto laughed out loud, earning a pout from his friend. "You? Get an A? Hahaha! That's the best one I've heard yet."

"Hey! It could happen, dipshit! I've been studying!" He pointed to the pile of books on his desk. "Being cooped up at home sometimes shifts your priorities, buddy. Now, let's play."

For the next half-hour, their focus was on the combat game, where Naruto seemed to excel as he kept beating Kiba despite the other boy's adamant refusal to admit defeat. In between snacking on the food Naruto had brought over and the occasional bathroom break…or dealing with Akamaru trying to get in the way, it was relatively quiet…until…

"Shika tells me you joined the Martial Arts Club?" Kiba asked while chomping on a biscuit, eyes still trained on the screen before him. "How come, man? I thought you and I were going to be the lone rangers? Affiliated with no one?"

"I just joined yesterday," Naruto protested weakly, feeling his cheeks flame with heat at the somewhat accusing tone. "Besides, it's not as if it's going to be a permanent thing…"

"Yeah, right." Kiba rolled his eyes. "How come you aren't at practice today?"

"I came to see you," Naruto replied just as he delivered another crushing blow to kill off his friend's character. "See? I care for my friends that much."

"Dude, if you're on a team, you can't just ditch them like that. They might kick you out." Kiba tossed the game controller to the floor in exasperation and leaned against the bed. He turned his head to eye his friend. "Shika's becoming more responsible...as bizarre as that sounds. He even stayed back for his baseball club thing today."

"Good for him," Naruto mumbled and leaned back as well. He pursed his lips in thought, finding himself suddenly getting a bit uncomfortable with the way Kiba was still staring at him. Man, this wasn't good. Without the distraction of the game or anything else to do, Naruto was more aware of his friend than he would like. Kiba was handsome in a crazy sort of way, if that made any sense. His eyes were dark and narrow…and quite piercing too, especially when he got excited about something. His family tradition required he have a red mark on each cheek – a symbol of their tribe or whatever, Naruto wasn't sure, but it made him even more appealing to the girls. If he wasn't mistaken, Kiba had ditched two hot babes in the past month, just because they were boring to him. One of them was actually a freshman in college!

"…can't wait till Friday," Kiba gushed as he finally looked away long enough to pet Akamaru, who had crawled onto his lap. "Hot gals in bathing suits…"

"It's a swim meet, asshole," Naruto muttered. "They'll be wearing their usual swimming gear or whatever."

"So what? And to think, I'll get to see the babelicious Amaru Azusa…damn! I can't wait!"

At the mention of the red head's name, Naruto frowned and wondered if Sasuke would still keep his end of the bargain and introduce him to Amaru. Sure the threat of having his ass manhandled was no longer looming over him, but still…he wouldn't put it past Sasuke to do something like 'conveniently forget' to call Amaru to remind her about their meeting. Naruto pursed his lips in worry. Maybe he shouldn't have skipped out on practice today. He should have made sure Sasuke would keep to his end of the deal. However, this would mean having to talk to Sasuke face-to-face again, something Naruto found he was dreading for reasons beyond him. Oh for God's sake! He couldn't keep running away forever! If he didn't just deal with this head on…

"What's wrong with you?" Kiba asked as he leaned closer to peer into Naruto's face. He blinked as he noticed his friend's red cheeks and pulled back with a raised brow. "You're not catching the flu now, are you? I'm just about cured. See? No sniffling or coughing. I should be in school tomorrow if I get enough rest…according to Doc. Mom."

Naruto felt feverish – his thoughts racing a mile-a-minute. _Just…go for it…test it out and see and prove Sasuke wrong. It means nothing! It will always mean nothing!_

"Kiba."

"What?" came the drawled answer as Kiba had closed his eyes and was now humming some random tune beneath his breath.

"I want…" Naruto cleared his throat and tried to say this as nonchalantly as possible. "Kiss me again…you know…like how we used to pretend and shit."

Kiba's lashes flew open and without moving his head, his eyes drifted to his friend's countenance. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"In class, remember? When those girls would say, act the 'seme' and I act the 'uke' crap."

"Oh yeah…"

"So…I wanna test something."

Kiba looked confused. "What do you wanna test?"

Naruto was beginning to get impatient. "Just…do it, man! It doesn't mean anything, right? I just want to make sure…"

Kiba smirked, eyes lighting up with mischief. "Haha! You're turning gay on me, aren't you, Naruto? Dude, who's the guy…? Ouch! The hell! I was just kidding!" He pouted and nursed his aching arm, which Naruto had punched as he rose to his feet.

"Forget I asked. In fact, forget everything," Naruto huffed, feeling more humiliated than ever. "From now on, the pretend kissing thing stops, no matter how much the girls beg, got it?"

"But I thought you liked it…"

"I don't _like_ kissing guys!" came the furious reply that had Kiba (and even Akamaru) wincing.

"All right, bro. I got it," Kiba replied, waving his hands in surrender. "The kissing stops. No more pretend. Sheesh. What's gotten into you?"

_Sasuke's gotten into me that's what,_ Naruto thought with a low growl. _It's all his fault._ If he had planned to do some psychological damage to him, Sasuke was succeeding beautifully. Fuck!

"I'm…I'm sorry," Naruto said quietly as he sank back to the floor. "I'm just…" _Going out of my goddamn mind, I think._

"Here." Kiba tossed him a vial half-filled with white pills. "When I get stressed out, I take two of them. Calms me down quickly. And don't worry, it's doctor prescribed."

Naruto eyed the medication and shook his head slowly. "Nah, thanks. Just let me take a quick nap. I'll be fine when I wake up." As he said this, he was already moving onto Kiba's comfy bed, and before long, his light snores filled the room as owner and dog watched on in bemusement.

"Sure he's not getting the flu, Akamaru?" Kiba asked with concern laced in his voice. A short bark was all he got from his precious pet, and not thinking much about it (as they had slept together before), Kiba crawled into bed with Naruto and Akamaru tucked by his side.

For a while, he stared at his best friend, finding it hard to believe that the boy who looked so innocent in sleep could be a beast when angry or passionate about anything. He idly wondered what had brought about the weird request earlier, remembering what Shika had divulged on the phone about Naruto 'acting strange' the past two days or so. Shika had also mentioned that Naruto had met with that Sasuke Uchiha from Class 3-1, and Kiba, who wasn't exactly on speaking terms with the other guy, had heard the rumors that Sasuke might be gay. Was it possible that Sasuke had come onto Naruto? If true, had that bastard gone as far as even touching Naruto inappropriately? It would explain a few things, Kiba deduced, but still…Kiba wasn't sure such an event was enough to make Naruto turn gay overnight. Or the reason for him joining the Martial Arts club that had not only Sasuke in it, but that obvious fairy, Sai, in the mix.

"Maybe he really is gay…or bi…and doesn't know it yet," Kiba whispered, stroking Akamaru's head gently as the dog whined in response. A small smile came to his lips as he remembered the prank kisses they had performed for the girls. To them it had been a joke and it really didn't mean much, but Kiba had to reluctantly admit that kissing Naruto hadn't always been such a bad thing. In fact, he could go as far as saying that it had felt _good_ to him. Naruto's lips were always tightly closed though most of the times they did it, since the 'scenes' didn't usually last that long, but there was the one time, he had caught Naruto off guard and had gotten a bit of tongue in the process. Kiba could still remember the jolt it had caused the moment it happened…how his body had reacted in the same way it would have if he had been with a girl. He had actually almost had a boner from it. Kiba wasn't sure if Naruto had noticed it, but they had both masked it with laughter and playful punches afterwards. Kiba, for his part, hadn't forgotten and couldn't forget.

He wasn't sure if this made him bi, but to be honest, he realized he _did_ like kissing Naruto after all. It was just a damn pity that playtime was finally over.

* * *

"I can't believe he didn't show up today," Suigetsu grumbled as he kicked at a soda can on the sidewalk. He was walking Karin home as practice was finally over. It wasn't as if he wanted to walk her home, but she had insisted since Sasuke had left early (the guy had been in a foul mood for most of practice) and Juugo had to leave for work.

"He'll show up tomorrow," Karin replied, not really in a good mood herself. She had hoped that Naruto would be there as well, just so she could get to know him better. Sasuke's irritation at Naruto's absence had been evident after they waited for the blond to show up and nothing doing thirty minutes later. He had only wanted to practice with Kakashi sensei, refusing to accept sparring matches with any of his other teammates. Grr! Sometimes Sasuke could act like such a prick.

"Ho ho, what do we have here? Konoha rats," came a voice that had both Karin and Suigetsu turning around quickly.

Since they were still in their school uniform, it would have been easy for anyone to tell which school they were in. The same went for the duo strolling towards them.

"Seihou Gakuen pigs," Suigetsu sneered as he cracked his knuckles. The familiar gray pants and black blazer belonging to the exclusive private school was donned by a long-haired blond boy with mocking green eyes, and his silent red-haired companion who looked as if he wished he could be anywhere but here.

"Hello, Suigetsu," the blond greeted with a mock salute. "Long time no see."

Karin scowled. "I thought you were in the hospital, Deidara."

"Apparently not, sweet cheeks," the blond replied as he walked up to Karin and promptly gave her ass a sharp smack, only to dodge back laughing as she swung a fist in his direction. "Whoa there, babe. Plenty of time to rough me up in the ring when the tournament begins, eh? So, you two dating now?"

"Fuck off!" Karin hissed even though her cheeks flamed at the insinuation. "Go bug someone else. Let's go, Suigetsu."

"Aww, already?" Suigetsu replied. "You sure I can't just kick his ass for the heck of it?"

"You wish," Deidara sneered as he placed his hands on his hips and laughed aloud. "I'm back to a hundred percent, bitches! You'll wish I was still in the hospital when I'm done with your asses."

All he received for his efforts was a middle finger salute from Suigetsu as Karin dragged him away with a huff. He scowled as he watched them make the turn and disappear from sight, and would have gone after them if it wasn't for the gentle touch on his arm from his silent companion.

"Not now," the red-head said. "No fights until the tournament if you still want to qualify for it."

"God, they piss me off, Sasori," Deidara growled. "They think they're the best thing to happen since sliced bread. Urgh! I should at least take one of them out before then, eh?"

"No!" came the sharp retort, as Sasori began to lead the way back home. "Let's get some ice cream to cool that hot head of yours. We'll deal with Konoha … when the time comes."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes:** *lol* Who knew they were so many Kiba/Naruto fans out there? Psst, yes, they are my guilty pleasure pairing as well...although Sasuke and Naruto will always steal, lock and throw away the keys to my heart.

Much thanks to those who actually take the time to leave a review. Seriously, you guys are the reason this thing is being churned out so fast. Huzzah for muses!

* * *

**Chapter Five:**

Two cigarettes and an inner pep talk of epic proportions later, Naruto found himself strolling down the crowded hallway and toward Class 3-1 on Thursday morning. It was the brief period between classes as students caught up with friends and classrooms were noisy with everyone trying to out talk each other. No one thought much of the blond making his way to the classroom and no one paid much attention, but Naruto still felt as if the eyes of the world were trained on him as he approached the supposed brainiac class of the school. He could see the senior class president Aburame Shino engaged in conversation with a fellow classmate. Neji Hyuuga and Rock Lee were bent over what seemed like their assignments, while Haruno Sakura, the pink-haired beauty was laughing out loud with a group of girls as they read through a set of magazines. He had to admit he once had a major crush on her as a freshman, but selling her pictures now seemed more lucrative than courting her affections. Karin's familiar shock of red hair was noticeable as she rummaged through her school bag in search of something, while Suigetsu was trying to explain something to (a not very interested) Juugo via his handheld game.

Naruto's gaze drifted over the chaos of the room, searching for the elusive dark-haired teen he had come to see. A mixture of relief and mild disappointment washed over him when he noticed the empty seat by the window usually occupied by Sasuke. However, as he began to turn to make his escape, especially before anyone else from the team noticed his presence, a familiar deep voice that could only belong to one person interrupted his thoughts.

"What are you doing here, Naruto?"

The blond spun around quickly, kicking himself inwardly for the sudden quickening of his heartbeat/pulse rate. Putting it to just a natural reaction at being surprised, he gathered himself and gave a quick nod of acknowledgement.

"I need to speak to you. Got a minute?"

"Why? Thinking of quitting the team already?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow, his lips tightening with growing irritation.

Naruto did a double take as he found himself thrown off his train of thought at the sudden question. "What? No…!"

"Then what could we possibly have to talk about?"

"If you'd just…"

"I don't appreciate teammates who do not show up for practice when they're supposed to, and keep the rest of us waiting when we have less than a month until the goddamn tournament starts."

"Wait a minute…"

"Ever heard of the word _responsibility_, Naruto?" Sasuke continued relentlessly, his dark eyes seeming to flash with malicious intent. "No? Well go Google it and find out what it means, and when you do, perhaps then you can figure out how you plan to be a productive member of Team Taka. Or maybe that's a bit too hard for you as the last I heard, your brain cells seem only geared towards spying on naked women and taking their pictures. Now then, what could you _possibly _want to talk to me about?"

Naruto felt suffocated and humiliated all at the same time. He could feel his cheeks burning as Sasuke's voice had been loud and clear and the obvious hushed silence from the classroom behind him was a sign that their conversation had carried over. He didn't need to look around to know that they were now the objects of interest and his blood boiled with a dull fury knowing that Sasuke had done this on purpose. To embarrass him like this before his classmates was simply… _unforgiveable._

"You bastard," he growled, hands clenching into tight fists at his side. He was so mad; his body was literally trembling from the amount of self-control he was exerting on himself. It could be so easy to punch that smirking visage before him…so damn easy to make Sasuke bleed. "You goddamn no-good…"

"Save your fury for practice this afternoon," Sasuke sneered. "You can unleash it then when we spar. Just you and me. Got it, Naruto?"

"Oh you bet we'll spar," came the cold reply. "And by the time I'm through with you, you'll wish you hadn't fucked with me, Uchiha." With a deliberate bump of shoulders, Naruto walked past his nemesis, still bristling and counting the minutes until the final bell rang for the end of the school day. He couldn't wait to pummel Sasuke to a pulp, and Naruto just knew he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

Sasuke watched the striding figure, his heart still thumping hard and fast within his chest at the exchange. It was a risky tactic, but the end result was what he had hoped for. With Naruto now officially pissed enough to kill him, Sasuke had no doubt their practice this afternoon would be more than he hoped for.

"Was that a good idea?" Suigetsu asked as he popped up beside his team captain. "The kid looks like he's going to murder you later on, man. I felt chills."

Sasuke shrugged and walked to his seat, avoiding the concerned looks from Karin, Juugo and even Sai. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, hoping his excitement wouldn't be too evident. Months of anticipation had finally led him to this point and he wasn't going to miss such a golden opportunity even if it meant experiencing some pain in the process.

* * *

Shikamaru stifled a grimace as Naruto slammed the door to his locker with more force than was needed. They were in the boys' locker room – Shikamaru getting dressed for his baseball practice, while Naruto was just about done with his gi for Team Taka's practice. Shikamaru watched as Naruto tugged the belt around his waist with tightly controlled motions, and shook his head as he laced up his cleats.

"You seem eager today – trying to make up for missing yesterday's practice?"

Naruto gave a huff in response.

"Just go easy on the guy," Shikamaru finally muttered as he rose to his feet. "Whatever he must have done doesn't warrant you getting expelled in the process."

"Getting expelled is the least of my worries," Naruto hissed. "In front of everyone, Shika!" he added with an angry punch into the locker. "He insulted my intelligence and pretty much called me a pervert in front of everyone! That asshole!"

"Naruto…"

"It's okay…just a limb or two is enough to make me happy. Better yet, I'll rearrange that mug of his and he'll be looking for the best plastic surgeon on the planet when I'm through."

"Ouch."

"Hey guys!" came the cheerful greeting from Kiba as he bounded into the room. True to his word, he looked much better today and had made his return/presence known by being as loud as he possibly could in class all day. "What's going on?"

"Naruto's going to kill Sasuke today," Shikamaru offered with a light shrug.

"No shit! About time someone took that guy out. Can I watch?"

"No can do," Naruto replied with what looked like pity on his features. "The dojo is within another section of the building and non-team members can't watch."

"Fuck that," Kiba grumbled. "There's got to be a window to peek in through."

"The windows are pretty high."

"Geez, what is the place? A fortress?"

Naruto shrugged and slipped into his school shoes. "I'm off. I'd tell you to wish me luck, but you know I won't need it."

Kiba sneered and punched Naruto's shoulder playfully. "I want to see some red stains on that gi when you come back, Naruto. Evidence of Sasuke's beat down, got it?"

They gave each other a fist bump in parting before he left the room, leaving both Shikamaru and Kiba watching after him in silence.

"He's changed," Shikamaru eventually commented. Kiba nodded in response for he knew his friend was right. "I've never seen him so…so…"

"…_alive,"_ Kiba finished. "And here I thought we'd be slackers forever. This club thing's made him even more…I dunno…different."

"Just the club thing?" Shikamaru asked as he pulled out his baseball bat and helmet from his locker.

Kiba blinked in bemusement. "What do you mean?"

"I might be wrong, but hey, since that day he and Sasuke were on the roof…I did tell you he's been acting weird, right? Maybe Sasuke must have done or said something to him."

Kiba opened his mouth to tell Shikamaru about Naruto's actions the other day at his house, but decided it was best to keep it to himself. No need stirring the pot and causing more of a ruckus – but then again…wasn't Shikamaru only confirming what he had thought himself the other day? Was Sasuke really the catalyst for this change after all? And if so, was he ready to accept Naruto 'changing' in that way so quickly?

"Whatever it is," Shikamaru was saying as he began to walk out of the locker room with Kiba in tow. "Let's just hope he doesn't do something he's bound to regret in the long run."

* * *

Kakashi looked up from the papers he was grading (he was an English teacher as well), and into the determined features of the young man standing before him.

"You want me to let you and Naruto go at it with no time limits?" he repeated carefully as if weighing the words on his tongue.

"Yes, sensei," Sasuke replied with a small nod. "For missing practice yesterday, I think he has to make up for it and I plan on pushing him extra hard today."

"Uh huh." Kakashi turned his attention back to his papers, although a light smirk was forming on his lips. "And this wouldn't have to do with any personal vendetta or feud, would it, Sasuke? That ultimatum thing maybe?"

The boy had the grace to blush at the insinuation, but he held his ground. "Nothing of the sort, sensei. This is only a spar. You don't even have to watch us since you're so busy….actually Suigetsu and the others don't have to be here…"

"They're your teammates, Sasuke," Kakashi interrupted. "If they want to watch, they have the right to. Why do you want to practice with Naruto alone? Something else you want to tell me?"

Sasuke's blush deepened at the knowing look that came his way and he scowled in response. "Sensei, as team captain, it's my duty to make sure my teammates are…"

"SASUKE!" came the sudden loud bellow from the dojo. "WHERE ARE YOU, YOU DIPSHIT? COME OUT HERE ALREADY! I'M WAITING FOR YOU, ASSHOLE!"

Kakashi dropped his pen and held his head between his hands in disbelief. "Doesn't he have any respect for where he is? It's a dojo for chrissakes and he's acting like it's a mere school yard for a street fight."

"OY, SASUKE!"

Sasuke, whose heart had skipped a beat in response to the near barbaric call, smirked and gave a light shrug. "Looks like I'm needed, sensei. If I may be excused."

Hardly waiting for Kakashi's permission anyway, Sasuke left the office and walked into the dojo where Karin could be seen trying to 'shush' Naruto into being more respectful and quiet. Suigetsu looked like he was enjoying himself tremendously as he snickered at the blond's antics, while Juugo and Sai remained quiet, even though there was a pensive look on the bigger boy's face.

"Stop yelling like a banshee, Naruto," Sasuke said calmly, not betraying the surge of adrenaline that charged through him at the moment. Damn, Naruto looked feral in his fury and Sasuke shivered with satisfaction at what was to take place. "If you want me that badly, all you had to do was ask me nicely." _And I'd definitely come running._

"Shut up, you piece of shit," came the retort as Naruto flicked his nose, in an obvious gesture of a taunt, before giving Sasuke the middle finger as a follow up. "Time to make you pay for that stunt you pulled in class today."

"As much as I appreciate the battle that's about to take place," Kakashi cut in as he leaned against the door of his office to watch the proceedings. "I'd prefer you not swear or curse so much in here, Naruto. The dojo is a place of respect and we do take the Martial Arts quite seriously. If you're to be a member of this team, you will abide by the rules. I do take it you managed to read them, right?"

Naruto hadn't, but he didn't care at this point. All he could see was the smug-looking Sasuke standing before him – all he could hear was the pounding of his heart like a drumbeat rising to a crescendo in his ear. His body thrummed with barely suppressed excitement and anticipation. His hands itched and burned to pound into Sasuke's flesh – to make him bleed and suffer for all the mess he had created in the past few days.

"I'll check 'em out later, sensei," he finally replied as his eyes narrowed. "Right now…I've got something to take care of. Ready, fuc….Sasuke?"

Sasuke fell into his stance, an arm outstretched before him, and with a single wave of his hand, he commanded firmly. "Come."

Naruto needed no second invitation as he dashed towards Sasuke like a caged beast let loose. His intention was a well-aimed blow towards the other boy's stomach, but Sasuke was fast and somehow managed to block it by thrusting both arms before him. Not only was the block effective, but he was also able to push Naruto backwards with a powerful thrust that seemed to be laced with latent energy. Naruto felt the surge – like a dozen bolts of electricity coursing through his body and he winced in pain but held it in by biting hard on his lower lip. He lunged again for Sasuke, now punching and kicking wildly even though it seemed like Sasuke was holding his own by either blocking or dodging the attacks. Naruto thought he was fast, but hell, Sasuke was…

"Urgh!" he grunted and fell to his knees, unable to believe what just happened. One minute Sasuke was before him, the next, he seemed to vanish and appear behind him with a well placed chop behind Naruto's neck.

"You bastard," he growled and promptly lashed out with his leg, catching Sasuke off guard and sending the dark-haired boy toppling to the floor with a light grunt of pain. Quick to take advantage of Sasuke's position, Naruto formed a fist and with as much anger as he could muster, he drove it into the boy's stomach, smirking in glee as Sasuke curled up in agony at the assault. He barely heard Karin's gasp of shock as he grabbed Sasuke's gi and prepared to send another fist into the boy's face.

"That the best you can do?" came the sudden question that had Naruto's eyes widening in disbelief. He could have sworn the last punch was almost lethal and yet Sasuke looked as if he was bored with the whole affair. A light chuckle soon followed and before Naruto could blink, white hot pain shot through his body as he was flung away like a rag doll. He slumped into a heap against the wall, wheezing, coughing and aghast to find he was now bleeding. His throat felt like it was on fire, and it was becoming a little hard to gather air into his lungs. There was a deep cut to his forehead and the blood seemed to flow down the bridge of his nose and into his mouth. The salty, metallic taste on his tongue was all it took to finally send him over the edge, and with a howl that sounded anything but human, Naruto lunged again - so swift, that Sasuke barely knew what hit him.

Several photographs and scrolls fell to the floor as Sasuke was all but thrown against the other side of the room. It felt as if he had been run over by a semi-truck. His legs trembled as his stomach protested any movement he would have made. He could feel his meager breakfast and the lunch he had, threatening to spill from his lips. He tried to get up, but suffered a punishing blow to his cheek, sending his world exploding in a shade of red as his mouth filled with blood. Subsequent punches to his stomach and chest had him doubling over, and just when he thought Naruto would finish him off with the final deadly blow, the torture ended as soon as it began.

"Enough," came the voice (sounded eerily like Kakashi sensei's) that seemed to come from a million miles away, "Calm down, Naruto. It's over. You've defeated him."

Defeated. He was…_defeated. _Why wasn't he surprised?

"Sasuke? Sasuke?" Karin's concerned voice this time. He could feel her hands on his shoulder and he wanted to shrug it off, to scream that the fight wasn't over…that he could still finish this and defeat Naruto… to show that he could hold his own. However, the pain was too much – physically, mentally and emotionally. His vision was fading fast and he wondered how he could face his teammates again, especially to look into Naruto's eyes without feeling like he was lacking in some way. Maybe he ought to give up trying to woo the blond. It was too much of a hassle anyway and besides, Naruto's hate had magnified... that much was certain. It was a knowledge that hurt more than any physical blow could ever deliver.

* * *

Naruto parked his motorbike in the garage and got off slowly, wincing as his ribs protested the movement. The after effects of Sasuke's blows were becoming more evident, as the ride home alone had been a lesson in patience and pain. He wanted to lie down and never wake up and perhaps forget that the fight had ever happened. Strange, he thought with a bitter chuckle, he had been in fights before, and had taken his share of deadly blows from his opponents, but he couldn't remember the last time he was left this physically and emotionally drained.

He sagged against the wall, trying to catch his breath as his heart seemed to skip a beat, shooting a searing pain down to his stomach. Whatever skill Sasuke had with that energy thing in his punches and kicks, it was definitely working. Naruto couldn't even remember much of what had happened after he tasted his blood for the first time during the fight. All he remembered was the fury he had felt and then…_nothing._ Something had taken over him – the same 'something' that seemed to overwhelm him whenever he got too angry and lost control. In his street fights, he usually didn't remember much of what happened _during_ the fight, but always 'came to' once all his opponents lay in pools of their blood and barely recognizable. It was a miracle he hadn't been arrested yet for all the injuries he had caused so far. Naruto was sure that if Kakashi sensei hadn't stepped in, Sasuke would have been worse off. How worse off? Naruto didn't want to think about it.

He couldn't remember what the teacher had said, neither could he remember feeling Karin's gentle hands as she washed his face and applied the band-aids to his cuts and bruises. He must have walked out of the dojo in a daze, not speaking to anyone and deliberately avoiding meeting his friends who would no doubt want to find out how the match had gone. He had turned off his cell phone, wanting and needing the solitude.

"Welcome back, Naruto," came the cheerful greeting from Ms. Fuyutsuki, as he finally let himself into the familiar and welcoming confines of the kitchen. Her cheerfulness was soon replaced with a gasp as she noticed his banged up body. "Oh not again," she said with a look of sadness that tore through the blond's heart. Over the years, she had become the mother figure in his life. He knew his fights always made her unhappy and he usually tried to sneak into the house without her knowing about it. "Why do you keep doing this?"

Naruto tried to smile in reassurance. "I'll be fine, auntie. I just need to lie down for a bit. Just promise you won't tell uncle, okay?"

"Oh, Naruto…"

He silenced her with a much-needed hug, enjoying her warmth, and for a brief moment, he felt a burning sting in his eyes as he tried not to break down in tears. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried anyway and he pulled away quickly so as not to give in to the overwhelming emotion. He trudged up the flight of stairs, holding back his grimace so she wouldn't worry, but as soon as he was in the comfort of his room and the door was locked behind him, Naruto collapsed to the floor with a choked sob.

What kind of a monster was he? Why did it take his fight with Sasuke to finally realize that he was actually…_afraid_ of the person he could eventually become if he didn't control himself?

"I'm scared," he whispered into the darkness, clutching his shirt above his aching heart as the silent tears finally spilled down his cheeks. "Oh God, help me…I'm so fucking scared of myself…help me…"

_Sasuke._

* * *

"Looks like your parents aren't home," Suigetsu observed as he walked into Sasuke's kitchen. He noticed the note Mikoto had left on the counter. "_'Gone for date night with Daddy. Eat what you like in the fridge'_. How sweet."

"Stop fucking around," came Karin's sharp retort. "Can't you be serious for one minute? Let's take him upstairs, Juu."

"It's okay," Sasuke began in a voice that sounded hoarse even to him. "I can walk…"

"No way," came the vehement reply from the redhead. "You almost fell just walking to your bike earlier. You need to rest up. Let's go, Juu."

Juugo, who was actually carrying Sasuke piggyback style, gave a slow nod and did as he was told; leading the way to their team captain's bedroom. He waited for Karin to fluff up the pillows and pull back the thick blanket, before laying Sasuke on the bed.

A thick white bandage covered most of his face, his torso wrapped with thick bandages thanks to the school nurse. Sasuke was sure he looked like a walking mummy, but didn't want to think too much about it as he closed his eyes and tried to slow down his racing thoughts.

"…ruthless," Suigetsu was saying as shook his head in disbelief. "I swear if Kakashi sensei hadn't stepped in…"

"I would have stopped it," Juugo offered quietly. "He would have killed you, Sasuke."

Karin stifled a sob and took a deep breath to gather herself. "Why does he hate you so much? I thought with him on the team….we'd all work well together and…and…"

Sasuke remained silent, unable to confess or tell his teammates that it had been done for purely selfish reasons. His lust for Naruto had superseded rational thinking and now threatened to divide a team he felt was worthy of winning the upcoming tournament. The last thing he wanted to do was have them worry about him, and he knew now that his decision to let Naruto 'go' would be the best thing for all of them.

"It's okay," he finally said as he opened his eyes to give them a small nod of reassurance. "It's my fault for making him mad, and I take full responsibility. I'll apologize to him first thing in the morning."

"You can't come to school like this!" Karin cried out. "You look…"

"Like road kill," Suigetsu offered with a nod which earned him blow on the head from the irate female. "You bitc…!"

"You should get some rest," Juugo cut in as he noticed the duo about to get into another argument. "We'll go now."

"I'll visit you tomorrow," Karin offered. "And maybe Naruto…you did some damage too, I think."

"Not enough," Suigetsu muttered. "But yeah…like stay home and stuff. I'm sure you'll be fine on Monday. We'll train hard, right guys?"

The others nodded, even though Sai wasn't with them as he had to stay back in school for an art club meeting. They said their goodnights, with Karin promising to lock the front door behind her since Sasuke would be all alone in the rather big house.

In the silence that followed, Sasuke climbed out of bed, staggering as a shot of pain ran up his leg, forcing him to clutch the bed post for support. Cursing beneath his breath, he hobbled to the bathroom and turned on the light. He had to get a better look at the damage inflicted on him. He stood before the large mirror and winced at the sight. He looked pale beneath the bandages and he was appalled to find himself still trembling as the memory of Naruto's last series of attacks flooded his mind. He sank to the floor and closed his eyes. It was the same look he had seen that night while on his way to a video store to return some movies. He had decided to walk instead of drive, preferring to enjoy the evening air, even though it was getting a bit late.

At first the commotion beneath the pedestrian bridge had not interested him, and he would have walked past without a second look, if it wasn't for the familiar school blazer and shock of blond hair that had him doing a double take. Not wanting to get into the fray, Sasuke had watched from the relative safety of the bridge as the group of thugs – about six of them – continued to tease and taunt the silent Naruto who seemed to be taking the abuse without saying much. It wasn't until one of the guys, who had sneaked up behind Naruto, raised a crowbar to apparently hit Naruto's head, did the blond explode in a most spectacular fashion. Sasuke, who had been ready to scream a 'Watch out, Naruto!', could only look on in shock at the events that took place next. There really was no other way to put it. Naruto had _ripped_ through his opponents as if they were mere puppets. It was a brutal, bloody affair that Sasuke couldn't look away from. He had never seen anything like it and the realization that this was the same Naruto, who could look like a complete loser/slacker in school, had sent a perverted thrill of delight down his spine once the massacre was over.

Today, he had gotten a taste of that rage. Today, he almost had a rendezvous with Death.

His stomach muscles clenched with an emotion he realized as fear, and he shivered at the notion that he had almost lost his life. It was funny how he had always enjoyed the thrill of a good fight over the years and it had to take Naruto's beating to remind him of just how fickle one's life really was. Imagining his mother's tearful countenance or not being able to accomplish all the goals he had set out for himself was an eye-opener for the teen.

_Damn it all to hell._

Sasuke knew he had vowed to leave Naruto alone and not to bother him anymore, but could he really do it? Could he really stay away from the blond, despite the fact that they'd still be teammates? How could he continue to act like nothing had happened if Naruto decided to return to the dojo? It was going to be difficult, but Sasuke knew that trying to establish nothing more than a platonic relationship was the best way to go – anything to keep the team together.

He opened his eyes and stared at his reflection, barely blinking as his image seemed to waver and he found himself staring into the familiar passionate blue eyes. He still wanted Naruto…still entertained the thought of being with the boy eventually…but for now…

"I'll try to be nothing more than a friend," he whispered into the silence. "If you'll only give me a chance…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes:** Thank you, thank you for your comments/reviews/encouragement! It's nice to see that folks like a good backstory instead of rushing into things so quickly, so yeah...hope you enjoy the way the characters are being developed and all that extra good stuff. Enjoy and remember, feedback makes them muses happy!

* * *

**Chapter Six:**

Friday morning arrived with Konoha High buzzing in excitement … at least most of the male population, who had the 'golden' tickets, were the ones responsible for creating the buzz. Chouji was currently placing delicate kisses on his ticket, muttering names of the girls he hoped to meet once they got to Kusanagi. His high-powered camera was at the ready, for he hoped to take as many pictures as possible. It was a plan he and Naruto had hatched out once the meet was announced months ago. They'd make a killing with the sales! Speaking of which…

"Where is he anyway?" Chouji asked as he eyed his silent companion. Shikamaru was lying on the ground (they were on the rooftop), gazing at the skies as a cigarette dangled from the corner of his mouth. It was a ritual for the quartet - as they usually spent some mornings hanging out here before classes began – a way to unwind and prepare for a day of the same old boring classes and mindless protocol.

As he prepared to mumble out an 'I don't know', Kiba's hasty footsteps were heard just as the bell chimed for the morning assembly.

"He didn't come," he panted, a frown on his face as his friends looked on with bemusement. "I've been standing at the goddamn gate all this time and unless there's some back way to get into the school for students, he didn't show up. His cell phone is off too."

"I know," Shikamaru replied as he sat up and crushed out the cigarette. "I tried to call him yesterday, but he wouldn't pick up. Sent him a few texts and no response either. I even thought of waiting for him after practice, but the dojo was empty. The fight must have been over pretty quickly."

"Think he lost?" Kiba asked, unable to believe that Naruto would have been defeated anyway. He had seen his friend in action before and Kiba was smart enough to know that he wouldn't want to piss off Naruto at any given time.

"What fight? What are you guys talking about?" Chouji asked as he looked from one pensive face to the other. "Hey, you guys are holding out on me."

Shikamaru placed a friendly arm on the bigger boy's shoulder. "It's cool, Chou. Just some petty fight Naruto had with that Uchiha kid. In fact…is he here?"

"Who?" Kiba asked as they began to make their way into the school – the last thing they needed was to be bitched at by one of the teachers or the student council officers.

"Sasuke," Shikamaru explained. "Did you see him?"

Kiba shrugged. "Wasn't really on the look out for him, but no, I didn't see him either. Maybe he'll be at the assembly."

However, Sasuke _wasn't_ at the assembly, as Shikamaru was quick to notice while standing in line with the other students. He was almost always standing with Juugo and Suigetsu, but today, the trio was missing one of its members. Once the assembly was over, Shikamaru caught up to Suigetsu by tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"What do you want?" came the rude response once Suigetsu noticed who was bothering him.

Shikamaru held back his irritation, realizing he'd have to play nice if he hoped to get any decent answer from the other student. "Is Sasuke coming to school today?"

"What's it to you?" came the sneer as Suigetsu cocked his head and eyed the dark-haired boy. "What about your buddy, Naruto? Where is he?"

"He didn't come to school either," Shikamaru replied.

"Hah, knew Sasuke had done some damage after all," Suigetsu said with a smug look of satisfaction on his features.

"Was the fight that bad?" Shikamaru asked, noticing that Juugo, Sai and Karin were watching the exchange from a distance. He barely acknowledged Kiba and Chouji now flanking his sides.

Suigetsu seemed to weigh the decision to exaggerate things a bit or to tell them the blunt truth. "It was an okay fight," he finally answered with a shrug and a look of boredom on his features.

"An 'okay' fight?" Kiba hissed as he took a step forward. "How 'okay' was it that it would keep Sasuke out of school, huh? What the fuck happened?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Suigetsu taunted, stepping up to Kiba as if daring the other boy to do something in retaliation. "What are you gonna do if I said Naruto got creamed?"

"I'd call you a fucking liar, you fucked up…!"

"All right, let's all calm the hell down," Shikamaru interrupted as he stepped between the two boys who seemed to be growling at each other. Karin was already making her way towards the group and she tapped Suigetsu's shoulder firmly, a look of disapproval on her features.

"Let's go, Suigetsu. We've got Geography first period with that Nazi, Ibiki, remember? Hurry up. We don't have time for this."

Kiba wanted to gouge her eyes out for the obvious jab, but Karin spun around to face the three boys for a moment. "If you must know, the fight was amazing…however, both sustained injuries and Sasuke has to heal properly. I don't know the extent of Naruto's wounds, but you might want to visit him when you can. Sasuke's blows can be quite…lethal as well." And with a wan smile, she walked away, leaving the boys gaping after her in shock.

"We have to see him," Kiba finally croaked when he could find his voice again. "Let's ditch school and go to his house."

"Yeah!" Chouji chimed in – as all thoughts of the awesome time they'd have at Kusanagi seemed to be flying out the window. "Let's do it, Shika."

They waited for the boy's approval, somehow relegating him the leadership position with Naruto not around. After a moment of thought, Shikamaru shook his head lightly. "Not now…too soon and we'll arouse the teachers' suspicions. Let's wait till lunch time and then we'll go, okay? Meet me by the fence next to the science building, got it?"

They nodded in agreement and made their way to class. However one collective thought rang through their minds – just how strong was Uchiha Sasuke to have caused such bodily harm to the seemingly invincible Naruto? If that was the case, then Sasuke was definitely not a guy to be taken lightly.

* * *

They found him watering the lawn – an odd sight considering how fast they had left the school to get here, filled with vivid images of him lying in bed wrapped in bandages and bruised up to the point of non-recognition. The only sign that he had been roughed up was the flesh-toned band-aid stuck to his forehead like a badge of honor. Juugo's bruises were already fading –and it was something Naruto's friends had noticed and become used to over the years. The boy had a remarkable ability to heal fast from a beating.

"What's up, guys?" came the cheerful greeting as they gawked at him in disbelief. Chouji was still trying to catch his breath since they had used regular bicycles to get here, and he was the first to wheeze out in an accusing tone.

"What the fuck, man? What the hell are you doing?"

Naruto eyed the green watering can in his hand and had the grace to look sheepish. "I'm just helping Ms. Fuyutsuki water the flowers. She said she'd pay me extra if I helped out today."

Kiba blinked, still struggling to wrap his mind around what reality was presenting and what his fantasies had been feeding him all day. "You…you missed school for…._this_?"

Naruto shrugged and attended to the row of petunias. "School was gonna be boring anyway. I'm just killing time."

"Killing…? Why you…!" Kiba wrapped an arm around Naruto's neck in an attempt to give him a chokehold. "You had us worried, man! We thought you were…you were…"

"Sasuke didn't come to school," Shikamaru said quietly, watching with interest at the flash of an emotion he could have sworn was guilt in the blond's eyes before it was quickly masked as he lowered his lashes.

"How's that my concern?" Naruto mumbled and tried to escape Kiba's clutches. Chouji joined in with the good-natured ribbing, and they laughed at the seemingly stupid situation they were finding themselves in.

"But really now," Kiba said as he finally released Naruto to stare intently into his features. "Karin told us the fight was hella awesome. You really roughed up Sasuke, I heard. So bad he couldn't even come to school today."

"Probably sitting home and licking his wounds," Chouji deduced with a loud laugh. Naruto tried to smile even though a part of him wanted to scream that he was still in pain himself. He congratulated himself for doing a good job of not showing it. His throat still felt raw and even now, suffering Chouji's light punches still affected his torso. It was all he could do not to grimace.

"He's a good fighter though," Naruto commented with a light shrug, as if merely giving Sasuke the obligatory compliment. But who was he kidding? Sasuke was more than just a 'good' fighter. He was sure Sasuke hadn't gone all out on him and had simply been taunting Naruto throughout the fight. If only he hadn't gone berserk…

"Huh. Either way, he got his ass handed to him and that's the most important thing," Kiba announced loudly. "Next time, he'll think twice before pissing you off."

"I do hope you haven't forgotten what today is," Chouji said with a look of glee on his features. "The day we've all been waiting for!"

"How could I possibly forget?" Naruto replied with a laugh. "Dude, I've been dreaming of this for so long, I could barely sleep last night. Come on in…hold on, let me just finish this…"

The trio watched in dumbstruck silence as the usually rough-mannered/awkward teen, slipped into a pair of garden gloves to tend to a few flowers that were still to be planted. With a gentleness they would not have expected from him (neither did any of them know Naruto was even into gardening for that matter), he set up a row of budding white roses and once satisfied with his handiwork, he rose to his feet with a sigh of satisfaction.

"What do you think?" he asked.

For a long minute, nothing was said until Chouji finally broke the silence. "Who are you? And where did you keep Uzumaki Naruto?" which in turn caused the blond to blush to the roots of his hair.

"Sasuke must have hit his head with more force than I thought," Kiba mumbled as he began to walk towards the house. "Planting flowers? What's next? He'll start offering to knit us sweaters. Brr."

As Chouji followed with a cry of 'I'm starving', Shikamaru was left to help Naruto clean up the gardening tools he had been using. There was so much he wanted to ask, but he was sure Naruto would tell him whatever he wanted in due time.

"You guys staying with me until it's time? Or we can leave now so we get good seats," Naruto said as they stepped out of the shed.

"Let's eat first," Shikamaru decided with a light yawn. "I skipped breakfast."

They walked towards the house in companionable silence, but Shikamaru was bursting at the seams with the need to know just what had happened. However, it didn't take long for him to have an inkling as he was suddenly stopped by the quiet question from his friend.

"Shika?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you think of me?...really? I mean…if we weren't friends or anything and you met me for the first time in school…what kind of a guy would you think I am? And don't worry about hurting my feelings. I can take it."

Shikamaru looked into the pale visage and realized that his friend really needed to know the truth to this. Trying to joke and make light of the situation was definitely something Naruto could do without at this time.

"In all honesty," Shikamaru began as he turned his gaze to the ornate marble water fountain, which stood in the middle of the garden. "I wouldn't exactly call you the nicest guy in the world, Naruto."

He missed the flinch from his friend, or if he did, he pretended not to notice as he continued quietly. "I mean, don't get me wrong. We…Kiba, Chouji and I know you're a great guy, but you don't really show that personality in school, Naruto. You don't allow folks to get too close to you and your brash and rude behavior is usually seen as a turn off."

"To most of the student body, Uzumaki Naruto is a loudmouth with bad grades, a pervert and a kid who likes to get in trouble. Many believe that you would have been expelled by now if it wasn't for your uncle pulling the strings behind the scene. I know it's not true, but the rumors are swirling about. They sometimes laugh at you behind your back, Naruto…I hear the conversations some of the girls and guys have and I swear I want to kick their asses for you, but…that's the Naruto they know and see. They don't know any better…_you _don't give anyone a reason to see the good side of you…the gardener for instance," he finished with a warm smile as he finally looked into Naruto's face. "There is a gentle and kind and sweet Naruto…and don't gag, but he's in there." He reached out to touch the blond's chest gently. "You just have to let him out a bit more, eh?"

Naruto took a deep breath to suppress the ridiculous urge to break down in tears. Never had he heard such honesty about himself before and he knew…deep down inside… that Shikamaru was right.

A sudden memory filled his mind – something he hadn't remembered in so long. He could see himself sitting before his parents' grave. How old was he then? Five? Six? Had he been crying? He wasn't sure. All he remembered was the heavy downpour and how cold it was. He stared at the marble stones etched with their names, feeling a dull rage begin to flicker within him at how unfair it was for God to take away his mom and dad so soon. A looming shadow had fallen over him and he looked up and into the smiling visage of the huge man with long white hair – a man he had never seen before. Who was he and what did he want?

"_You're a fiery one, aren't you, Naruto?" _his so-called uncle had said as he leaned down to rub the blond hair gently. _"Why don't you come with me and let's see if I can tame you a bit, eh?"_

"I wasn't always this angry," Naruto whispered, causing Shikamaru to raise a brow in question.

"What was that?"

Naruto shook his head and shrugged lightly, just as the smell of pizza wafted from the kitchen and into his nostrils. "Nothing, Shika. It's nothing at all. Anyway….thanks…for…you know…everything."

"What are friends for, eh?" came the response, and before he could stop himself, he wrapped his arms around Naruto in a brief, but somewhat awkward hug, feeling his cheeks burn with heat at the gasp of surprise it elicited from the blond. He pulled away quickly and scratched his head, shrugging as if there was nothing to it.

"Just don't look so down around me," Shikamaru mumbled as he turned away to hide his embarrassment. "I only want to see you happy, Naruto."

"Shikamaru…"

"HEY! WHAT'S KEEPING US?" Kiba bellowed as he held up a slice of pizza to tantalize his friends. "Let's chow!"

Naruto swallowed the hard lump that formed in his throat as he listened and watched his best friends. He really was an awful person and yet…these three had stuck with him through it all. He tried to ignore the tiny voice that screamed that Sasuke also wanted a piece of him, but Naruto assumed that it was all just a physical need on the other boy's end. Sasuke would never know the real Naruto – all he was interested in was sleeping with him and for some reason, Naruto felt a righteous anger at how … _cheap_ it all seemed.

_And taking pictures of half-naked girls, isn't cheap? Wanting to hang out with Amaru just because she's a hot catch, doesn't make you a creep, eh, Naruto? Talk about a double standard, dipshit._

"Naruto!" someone wailed for him again, and shaking his head rapidly to clear his muddled thoughts, Naruto ran into the kitchen, eager to feel a sense of belonging with the ones he cared for.

* * *

By the time they arrived at the revered all girls' high school, the line leading up to the gates seemed a mile long. It wasn't much of a surprise to see that a majority of them were young men (and the occasional old geezer) all positively salivating at what awaited them inside the hallowed grounds.

"I can smell their perfume already," Chouji sighed with a lovesick look on his face. "Can you smell it? Can you?"

"I can smell your B.O.," Kiba offered as he mockingly tried to push Chouji away from him. His eyes were twinkling with excitement, and Akamaru, who was tucked into his jacket, gave a small yip to match his master's enthusiasm.

"Now remember the plan," Naruto said in a harsh whisper as they were fast approaching the gates. "Just hold out the tickets and don't look into their faces. Give the illusion of being in a hurry, so they don't start suspecting anything."

There were only two guards and with the crush of eager spectators, it seemed like they had their hands full. A group of thug-looking high schoolers (supposedly) were making trouble at the gate – those still in line began to whine and bitch about the situation, and before long, chaos reigned as more guards came running out from the building to shove the crush of people trying to force their way in.

In the madness, Naruto ducked and weaved his way between people's legs, Kiba, Shikamaru and Chouji (who had a more difficult time of it thanks to his build), in tow. They finally managed to get to the front of the line and Naruto thrust the set of tickets before the flustered guard's face.

"Thank you!" he cried out before the man could say anything else, and with a dash, he shoved his friends through the gate and went in last, giving a huge inward sigh of relief as he looked back to see that the guards had finally managed to shut the gate and control the crowd a bit.

"What a mess," Shikamaru observed dryly. "Now you know they're going to be extra careful with ticket holders now. Good thinking, Naruto."

The blond smirked and straightened out his designer t-shirt and jeans. They were all dressed alike – not in the very same outfits – but in the same casual wear of jeans and shirt, more than glad to be out of their stuffy school uniforms.

"We should be rooting for our school, shouldn't we?" Shikamaru asked as they walked into the cool confines of the building, only to lose his speaking ability at the row of girls (ushers apparently) waiting for them in the main hall.

"Holy Mother of…"

"Guuuuuh….." was all Chouji could manage as a girl walked up to him to place a Hawaiian lei around his neck.

"Welcome to Kusanagi Girls' High School," she said sweetly, her voice sounding like a million nightingales in flight. She was gorgeous with breathtaking blue eyes and a shy smile that sent the plump boy's heart fluttering. Their school uniform which consisted of a short-sleeved white dress shirt and pleated black skirt that was way above the knee, had their teenage hormones raging and firing on all cylinders. The effect was not just felt on Naruto and his friends, but on every other male (even men who were married! For chrissakes) who walked in.

"I'm in heaven," Kiba moaned as another beautiful girl walked up to him to. "Someone just kill me…"

"Kibaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" came the sudden squeal that ricocheted around the hall and caused more than a few people to cover their ears at the shrill sound. Kiba, who was still in a bit of daze, was snapped out of it quickly as a bundle of energy flung itself at him, sending them crashing to the floor.

"What the…?"

"Kiba sweetie and Akamaru!" the girl, for that was the 'bundle-of-energy' was, straddled his waist with a wide grin on her pretty features. "Don't you remember me? Miho from summer camp!"

Kiba looked flummoxed. "Miho? What are you doing here? I thought you were in China?"

"China?" The girl cocked her head to the side in confusion. "No, silly!" She slapped his arm gently. "I'm in this school now. I transferred a few months ago. What do you think?" She stood up and twirled around for him, revealing her long legs encased in the knee-high white socks and shiny black loafers. "I'm cute, aren't I?"

Kiba's eyes gleamed with approval. He couldn't really remember her that well, but what the hell, she was cute and obviously available. "You look like a million bucks, babe. Wanna be my date this evening?" He held out his arm and she took it with a giggle, leading him towards the swimming pool area, now chattering at a mile-a-minute.

"Look at how quickly he ditched us," Naruto tried to grumble even though he was finding it hard to keep a straight face with what was happening. With Kiba gone, Chouji trying to chat up the blue-eyed babe and Shika…

"Oh, not you too," came the groan as Shikamaru turned around with a sheepish look on his face. Draped on his arm was a girl with blonde hair done in two ponytails and green eyes that seemed to flash with hidden promises. She looked like a tough chick, and obviously had her eyes set on the handsome Konoha student.

"See you around," Shikamaru mouthed as he was led away, leaving Naruto to stand on his own …at least it seemed that way for a girl was approaching him with a warm smile and a lei. He tried to gather himself…to act cool enough, when a voice from behind had him doing a double take.

"Uzumaki Naruto, right?"

He spun around quickly and almost fell on his ass as he found himself staring into the teal-colored eyes of the girl he had only seen in pictures and in his dreams. Her red hair was done in a tight ponytail – in preparation for the competition, Naruto was sure, but she was still dressed in her school uniform. She smiled warmly at him, causing his already racing heart beat to speed up even more.

"Amaru Azusa," she said needlessly, giggling as he stammered something incoherent. "You'll cheer for me, won't you, Naruto?"

"Ah…yea….yeah…sure!" he finally managed to say, kicking himself inwardly for sounding like such a moron.

"I have to go to the locker rooms, or I would have shown you to a seat," she said with a light pout, causing Naruto's gaze to drift to those damn kissable lips. "But…make sure you sit where I can see you, okay?"

"Oka…" Anything else he would have said was erased from his vocabulary as she leaned up to place a light kiss on his cheek. She waved shyly and skipped away, leaving the boy gawking after her in disbelief at what had just taken place.

_Okay, breathe, Naruto…just…breathe. What just happened was not a figment of your imagination, was it? You're actually standing in the main hall of Kusanagi High School. You just met the babelicious Amaru Azusa, who knew your name and even what you looked like and even went as far as giving you a K-I-S-S and asking you to cheer for her….someone PINCH ME!_

He got a cuff on the head instead as Shikamaru had returned to snap him out of his daze. "Stop standing around, Naruto. It's about to start."

Naruto, too happy to be bothered by the blow, gushed to Shikamaru like a love struck puppy. "You won't believe who just spoke to me now, Shika."

"Who?"

"Amaru Azusa. THE Amaru Azusa!"

"Shut the fuck up, man! You serious?" came the cry of disbelief as they entered the boisterous and rather impressive swimming pool/stadium. It had an Olympic–sized pool which was adorned with colorful bows and rows of waterproof origami. The crowd was cheering wildly as different schools waved their banners and blew their horns to cheer for their teams. Naruto was torn between sitting in the Konoha section and parking himself between the bevy of beauties in the Kusanagi area. However, seeing Kiba and Chouji somewhere in the midpoint (and they had managed to snag good seats too), Naruto and Shikamaru made their way there.

"This is Temari by the way," Shikamaru announced, motioning towards the blonde girl next to him as they sat down. She gave a small smile in greeting. "She says she's in Amaru's class."

"Really?" Naruto perked up at the news, wondering if he could pester Temari with questions about the girl. However, those thoughts would have to be put on hold as the competition began in earnest. The parade of swimmers from each school brought loud cheers from the crowd, none more so than the appearance of the star of the show – the petite and uber-talented swimmer, Amaru Azusa. Naruto must have screamed until his throat protested the action, and he ignored the few glares he received from his school mates as they considered him a traitor for jumping ship. He wasn't the only one though, as most of the boys from all the other schools seemed to cheer more for the Kusanagi girls.

An hour and a half later, it was all over. Not surprisingly, Kusanagi came in first with 6 gold medals, with Konoha in second taking home 5 gold. The boys, for protocol's sake, stayed to cheer their swim team which also consisted of Ino and Sakura.

Ino glared at Shikamaru as they approached, Temari still latched onto his arm. "Well, look who decided to show up."

"Good swim, Ino," Shikamaru praised, ignoring the daggers slung at him with the blonde's gaze. "Congratulations on your gold medal."

"Yeah, whatever," she huffed and walked away, causing Shikamaru to sigh in confusion.

"What did I do to her now? She's always acting like I have the plague or something."

Kiba, who was now sharing an ice cream with his new gal, looked up long enough to notice who was approaching. "Holy shit, isn't that triple gold medal winner, Amaru Azusa, coming this way?"

Naruto, who had been itching for a smoke to ease off some of the tension from the evening, tucked the packet into his pocket hastily as he fixed a smile on his face at the mention of the girl's name. Sure enough, Azusa – now dressed in her uniform again - was walking towards them, ignoring all the admiring looks from fans and a few extra photographers still snapping shots of her.

"Hi everyone," she waved politely and beamed at the blushing Naruto. "Hi, Naruto."

"Hi…hi…" came the squeak and then knowing nudges from Kiba and Chouji (who was red faced with envy) at their friend's good fortune.

"I wanna leave this place," Amaru was saying as she laced her arm around Naruto's. "Let's go to that new creamery in town…Oshi's? Huh? How about it, boys?"

"Yeah!" came the cries from Miho, Temari and Miyabi (Chouji's girl). Apparently, it was a hot spot for the girls and they were determined to take their new boyfriends to the place for the night.

"What kind of a ride do you have, Naruto?" Amaru asked as she pressed herself against him. Naruto tried not to trip over his feet, blushing hard at the feel of her breasts against his arm.

"A DN-01," he replied, feeling his heart soar at her 'ooh' of delight.

"I love that bike," Azusa gushed, and all but flung herself on the sleek, black machine when they reached the parking lot. "It's so…sexy," she crooned and laughed aloud at Naruto's shocked countenance. "What? Thought I was so sweet and nice, eh? Come on, you bad boy. Sasuke's said so much about you..now why don't you show me what you've got."

_Sasuke._

To his chagrin, Naruto found his heart rate increasing for a completely different reason now. Just one mention of the other boy's name and the evening seemed to have taken a turn in a different direction.

Deep down, he _knew_ he had Sasuke to thank for this meeting. He _knew_ if it wasn't for that phone call, none of this would have happened.

/You owe me./

_I joined the club, didn't I?_

/You owe me./

_I've paid my dues. I don't owe him anything now. We came to an agreement and…and…_

Amaru's light laughter jarred his thoughts and his grip on the handlebars of the motorbike tightened as he sped down the highway, relishing in the way her thighs brushed against his jeans and her chest pressed against his back. Only in his dreams had he imagined this and it had finally come true all thanks to one person.

He groaned inwardly as he realized he'd have to be the bigger man about this. He'd have to thank Sasuke properly, even if it meant having to ask for forgiveness for allowing the fight to get out of hand.

_Fine, fine, goddamnit! _He finally roared at his screaming conscience._ I'll go to his place tonight and give him my thanks. End of story._


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes:** Excuse me while I weep for the latest manga chapter...but until then, I hope this chapter tides you over. I'll be taking a break this weekend and will return with updates next week. Thanks again to everyone who has left a comment/review. I really do appreciate it!

**Warnings (really?):** Lime...(gasp!)

* * *

**Chapter Seven:**

"Where does Sasuke live?"

"What?" Amaru licked off the side of her spoon and dipped it into the tall malt glass filled with chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

"Sasuke? Where does he live?" Naruto asked, trying to raise his voice as he leaned closer to Amaru, who was sitting across him in the cozy booth albeit extremely noisy ice cream parlor. Apparently, it seemed like everyone who was at the swim meet wanted to be at _Oshi _and most of the patrons were people arriving from Kusanagi High. The ice cream parlor was bright and colorful, its theme seeming to come from the pages of Hansel and Gretel. Everything – from the chairs to the tables and the windows and the décor – looked edible and tasty. Pinks and blues, yellows and greens, reds and purples…it was a children's haven or a nightmare for those who couldn't stand such cute things. To add to its appeal, a video arcade had been set up for older kids or adults who were young-at-heart. Currently, Kiba, Miho, Shikamaru and Temari were participating in a DDR contest and their excited screams, including those from their growing audience, carried over to Naruto's table. Chouji and Miyabi were in their own world, both sharing a malt drink from the same cup, and trying to out-blush the other.

"Why do you want to know where he lives?" Amaru asked, raising her voice over another cheer from the DDR section. She gave him a mischievous look and Naruto flushed as she giggled.

"I just want to return his notebook," he lied quickly, hoping she'd buy it. "He lent it to me and he has a test on Monday, so I want to give it to him before then."

"Ah, okay. Do you have a pen? Never mind, I do." She rummaged through her Prada handbag and whipped out a matching pen and pad set. She began to scribble his address, as Naruto watched with interest, noticing that she was left-handed. "So are you two friends?"

"What?"

"I said, are you two friends?"

"Do you want fries?"

"No, no! I asked if you two are…oh forget it…let's get out of here and talk where it's a bit more quiet." She ripped off the page where she had scribbled Sasuke's address and slid it across the table, nodding as Naruto tucked the information into his pocket. She rose to her feet, and Naruto, who hadn't really heard the last bit of her conversation, wondered if she was getting tired and wanted to leave. She motioned for him to follow, and he made a mental note to call his friends later to let them know they were no longer in the building.

However, it didn't seem like Amaru was actually leaving. Instead, she led him up a spiral flight of stairs to the second floor, where it was much cooler and quieter. This section seemed more geared towards the grown ups as the décor was less cutesy and more mature with its beige and cream hues. Several doors lined the corridors and the muffled sounds of music and laughter from each one had Naruto wondering just what the hell could possibly be going on in the top level of an ice cream shop.

"In here," Amaru invited as she pushed open a door and smiled warmly at one of the waiters, who must have known Amaru on a personal level, as he said nothing when she motioned that they were to be left alone.

"Karaoke," she said, smiling as she turned on the machine and the T.V. It was a small room, but quite cozy and inviting. A large couch took up most of the space and a low coffee table with a tray of treats and some alcoholic beverages were left to entertain the guests. Naruto flopped on the couch with a sigh of weariness, reaching into his pocket to pull out the pack of cigarettes. His decision to visit Sasuke was beginning to weigh on his mind and not even the sight of Amaru now dancing around as she sang one of Madonna's classic hits _'Like a Virgin…'_

_Yeah right,_ Naruto thought with a smirk as he lit up.

…was enough to ease his racing thoughts. What exactly did he plan on saying when he got there?

"Come on, Naruto," Amaru sang out as she reached for his hand to pull him to his feet. "Sing with me."

"I don't sing," he muttered, eyeing the screen and trying to keep up with the words…but failing miserably. He couldn't carry a tune and he didn't really want to, but to keep her happy, he'd play along.

"Like a viiiiiiirgin, feel your heart beat, next to miiiinne," Amaru sang and giggled as Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, placing teasing kisses on her neck as she thrust against him in rhythm to the music. She plucked the cigarette from his fingers and took a drag, before crushing it in the ashtray provided. Before Naruto could blink, he found himself pushed to the couch again, only this time, Amaru was straddling his waist, a look of blatant lust in her eyes as she pressed her warm lips against his.

_Whoa! Talk about going fast,_ Naruto's mind screamed (his body had long deserted him with the quick response in his pants to the feel of her thighs rubbing against his crotch), but Jesus! This wasn't what he wanted…at least not so fast…

"Wai…wait…" he tried to say, gasping as she began trailing hungry kisses down his neck, her hands slipping beneath his shirt. "Amaru…hold on…"

"Wha…what?" she panted, looking up with cheeks flushed, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Isn't this what you wanted? You want to fuck me, don't you? Every guy wants to, so let's just do it."

She leaned down again to attack, but Naruto could feel his arousal dissipating faster than the thought of a wrinkled old lady giving him a blowjob. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and with a little more force, pushed her away from him.

"Amaru," he began in a firm voice, hoping he could break through the thick cloud of lust that seemed wired into her mind. "Stop, okay? I don't…this isn't what I want."

She blinked once and for a moment, something close to irritation filled her eyes. She groaned and ran fingers through her hair, getting off Naruto to reach for his pack of cigarettes. Lighting up one, she leaned back on the couch and took a long drag, rolling her eyes as she blew a ring of smoke into the ceiling. "What do you want then, Uzumaki Naruto?"

Naruto opened his mouth to say that he had wanted a sweet, nice girl he could talk to for hours, as he had always imagined Amaru to be. She always came off as angel on the interviews she did for television or magazines and yet…the wild girl sitting beside him, was a far cry from what his innocent dreams had conjured up. Sure he wanted a vixen, but not…not Amaru. She was supposed to be…_pure_. As lame as that sounded even to him.

"Sorry to burst your bubble," she said with a light smirk as if reading his thoughts. "I'm not exactly Miss. Innocent. Definitely not a virgin either. "

"No kidding," Naruto mumbled as he lit up another stick for himself.

"Funny though," Amaru said with a chuckle. "Sasuke said you'd probably like me like this. He said you're a wild one." She eyed him with a twinkle of lust in her eyes. "Are you a wild boy, Naruto?" she asked with a husky whisper. She undid the top two buttons of her shirt, revealing a leopard print lace bra that had him sucking in a harsh breath. Oh, but she was good. Too good.

"Sasuke doesn't know shit about me," was all he could manage as he forced his gaze away.

Amaru gave a long-suffering sigh and redid her shirt, realizing now that this boy wasn't going to fall for it. "I don't know…he liked talking about you though."

Naruto's gaze flickered towards the red head, a brow raised in question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, given the opportunity, all he likes to talk about is how cool you really are. He says you're a kickass fighter and he's never seen anyone who looked as …amazing? Yeah, he said amazing as you. God, for a moment there I could swear he was gushing like a lovesick bastard."

Naruto's face filled with color and the sudden memory of Sasuke's warm breath against his ear and cheek as he had whispered,

/ I'd very much like to fuck you…/

….sent him sitting up with a jolt of awareness.

"I think he likes you," came the sudden commentary that really had Naruto now off the couch and pacing towards the window.

"Stop…stop fucking around," he finally said, trying to muster up the anger he should feel at the way the conversation was going. "I'm not into guys like that, all right?"

"But he said you kiss some other guy in your school…"

"What the hell?" Naruto barked in frustration. "Does he tell you everything?"

Amaru shrugged and reached for the bottle of wine on the table. She opened it with an expertise that didn't really surprise Naruto and drank directly from it. She wiped her lips and belched in an unladylike manner, grinning as she took in the boy's flustered countenance. "What's wrong, Naruto? Worried that you might be lusting for Sasuke too?"

Naruto couldn't trust himself to speak. The room was suddenly claustrophobic and he wanted nothing more than to escape this line of conversation. In fact…fuck going to Sasuke's home as well. He prepared to make up some excuse to bolt from the room, when the next words from her mouth had him rooted to the spot.

"He's…lonely, I think," Amaru said quietly, as her gaze was now trained on nothing in particular. "He doesn't show it…and likes to act tough, but I know…deep down he just really wants a friend, you know?"

Naruto did _not _like the way his heart was beating or why he was even listening to this, but he couldn't resist wanting to know more about Sasuke for reasons beyond him.

"He's popular," he protested weakly. "Everyone wants a piece of him…so how you can say he's lonely?"

"Idiot Naruto," Amaru said without a sting of venom in her tone. "You can be surrounded by a million people, be the center of attention and yet…be filled with a void that only one person can complete. Haven't you heard of that before? Look at me for instance…"

She waved her arms, spilling some of the wine on herself. Naruto was beginning to wonder if she was slightly drunk already.

"I'm the star of the swimming world…the most popular girl in the school…I'm going to graduate with Honors and go to the Olympics…blah, blah, blah…does anyone really want to know what's going on with the real me? Huh? Nope. No one gives a shit. Everyone is concerned about images and what they want to present to the world and the real you hides inside…crying for release…know what I mean?"

_Yes._

Yes, Naruto did know what she meant and it hit hard that she was able to pinpoint the exact thing Shikamaru had mentioned earlier in the day. He hadn't always been angry at the world – the beast within him had only grown because _he _had _succumbed _to the emotion –to mask the pain and suffering from such a devastating loss that his young mind had found difficult to adjust to.

"…older brother took all the glory," Amaru was saying and Naruto forced himself to listen. "Do you know how hard it is to live up to expectations, Naruto? To know that everyone is measuring you against this…pedestal." She waved a hand over her head as she said this. "…and you're trying so hard to get there, but you keep falling flat on your ass and no one forgives you for it. They expect you to be perfect and that's the pressure he faces…or rather he puts on himself. He wants to escape his brother's shadow, Naruto. To be his own person, even if he ends up being a prick most of the time." She giggled and took another swig from the bottle. "At least…I'm glad you're his friend."

"I'm not…" Naruto began to protest, but decided to keep his mouth shut.

"So when you see him tonight or whenever," Amaru slurred. "Tell him that you'll be the bestest friend ever…and that you'll love him forever and ever and ever…oh God…why are there two of you now?"

"Amaru!" Naruto dove for the girl, just as the bottle of wine slipped from her fingers. He caught it deftly and placed it on the table, cradling her now snoring form on his lap while her words rang incessantly in his mind.

It didn't make sense. None of it made any sense. Sasuke couldn't possibly be…_lonely_. The guy was almost always surrounded by his adoring peanut gallery….well wait a minute, that wasn't completely true. Now that he thought about it, Naruto could have sworn he had seen the other boy on his own in the most odd places. There was the time he had seen Sasuke sitting by himself next to the tennis courts, reading or doing his homework or something – and the time he had seen Sasuke shooting hoops alone in the empty gym when everyone else had gone home for the day. Or the time he had come to the roof, hoping to have a smoke, only to see Sasuke already there…by himself. Naruto had never stayed long enough to analyze any of the situations. His initial reactions were either that of disgust at someone else in his private place or a roll of his eyes at seeing the school heartthrob trying to act cool again.

"Ah fuck," he muttered as he leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. With this new information overload from Amaru, just what the hell was he supposed to do now?

* * *

After much explaining to his accusing friends (even though they ended up congratulating him at being so daring later on) and desperately trying to reassure them (especially the girls) that he hadn't tried to rape Amaru and she had drunk the bottle of wine all by herself, Naruto found himself driving down the highway and towards his nemesis's home. Temari had offered to take Amaru back home, so he had nothing to worry about. It was night time – eight in the evening to be exact – and Naruto was sure the members of the Uchiha household would still be awake. He hoped to make the visit brief. Go up to the gate, ask for Sasuke, tell him thanks for the evening…check up on his injuries and then bolt…nothing to it.

As the GPS navigated him to his destination, Naruto had to reluctantly admire the houses that lined this section of the city. They weren't as huge as his uncle's mansion, but they were comfortable enough. Most of the houses were painted white or done in steels and metals – a reminder that most of the people who lived in this area were the best engineers and architects the country had to offer.

"5531," Naruto whispered as he made the turn which led him right to the Uchiha compound. The first thing to hit him was the traditional look of the home – the exterior gate looked like those that ushered one into the house of a yakuza, complete with the bamboo and wooden fences. There was an ornate design of what looked like a fan and Naruto guessed it must be the Uchiha family symbol or something. It was the only thing that gave one an idea of whose house they were visiting, and swallowing the sudden lump of fear that filled him (God, he hoped Sasuke's father wasn't a member of the yakuza!), Naruto pressed the doorbell and waited with bated breath.

"Who is it?" came the gruff voice from the intercom that he hadn't even noticed hidden within a cluster of azaleas.

"Uum…Uzumaki Naruto…I'm Sasuke's classmate."

There was silence for a minute and Naruto was sure he could hear the faint sound of cutlery in the background. He winced. They must be having dinner. Great time to show up.

"Naruto?" came the familiar voice, which sounded surprised and …maybe it was his imagination, but actually…_pleased?_ "Is that you?"

Hoping he sounded as nonchalant as possible, Naruto replied with a 'Yeah, Sasuke. If you're busy I can come back another…"

"I'll be right there."

_Calm down, Naruto. Calm down. You shouldn't get so excited over the fact that you're about to see the bastard again. _

So why the fuck wouldn't his heart stop beating so fast? Why were his palms sweaty and why in fuck's name was he trying to look good by straightening out his shirt, jacket and pants?

The rattling of locks, and then the dull creak of the wooden door opening, had Naruto blinking at the sight before him. He had never seen Sasuke in anything other than his school uniform or gym clothes or gi, so seeing the dark-haired boy in a pair of regular jeans and a plain black t-shirt made the moment a bit surreal. It wasn't until Sasuke moved, did he finally notice that the boy was leaning on…

_Crutches? Holy…!_

"Don't just stand there," Sasuke said, with a motion of his hand. "Come in already."

"You're on…crutches," Naruto stated dumbly as he walked into the compound, moving aside to let Sasuke bolt the door behind him. The guilt he had kept buried deep within rushed to the surface and he caught his lower lip between his teeth, wondering how he could even begin to apologize for his reckless fighting.

"It's not too bad," Sasuke was saying as he began to lead the way into the house. "My legs are still a bit weak, but you didn't break any bones. The doctor said so. I should be fine by Monday." He chuckled. "I guess I got what I deserved for being such an asshole to you, huh?"

"I'm….sorry," came the hoarse whisper that had Sasuke stopping in his tracks. With his heart thudding at a mile-a-minute, unable to believe what he thought he heard, he looked over his shoulder at the boy who was motionless, his head lowered as if begging for forgiveness. The overwhelming urge to grab Naruto into his arms and to reassure him that it was going to be all right, was almost Sasuke's undoing. However, he remembered that he didn't want to freak out the blond any more than he already had. He had sworn to take things slowly, and physical contact of any kind…well besides future sparring matches, was completely out of the question.

"Wha…what are you mumbling to yourself for?" he finally managed as he nudged Naruto's shin gently with a crutch. "Come on. Mom says you'll have to join us for dinner. She made lamb stew. Non Japanese tonight."

"Sasuke…"

"Let's not talk about it," came the firm statement as Sasuke turned away to lead them into the house again. "Okay?"

Nodding solemnly in agreement, Naruto followed his captain, who seemed adept at maneuvering the crutches already, into the lavish but comfortable home. The smell of good food filled Naruto's senses and he all but drooled at the meal set on the table…well, if he could look past the stern features of the man staring at him from the head of the table.

"Good evening, sir," Naruto greeted politely with a bow. He noticed Mikoto coming out of the kitchen and had to confess that Sasuke's Mom was definitely falling into the M-I-L…

"So you're Sasuke's friend?" Mikoto smiled warmly at him. "It's rare for him to invite anyone for dinner, so have a seat! I hope you like lamb stew."

"Smells and sounds delicious, ma'am," Naruto replied as he sat on the empty seat reserved for him directly across Sasuke. There seemed to be two dining areas – this smaller one in the kitchen, which was quite homely and cozy, and a much larger one Naruto had spied on their way into the living room area, which was probably used for dinner parties and such.

Sasuke, for his part, was doing his best not to give in to the giddiness that filled him. When his father had asked if he knew any 'Uzumaki Naruto', Sasuke's heart had lurched in response, perhaps wondering if someone was playing a cruel joke on him, but actually hearing that voice over the intercom had made him…well, he hated to admit it…ridiculously _happy_. And now sitting right across him, and putting on a show of great enjoyment of the meal at his mother's expense (and her apparent delight), was the boy he never thought would want to see him again.

"So tell me, Uzumaki Naruto," Fugaku began as he clasped his hands together and peered intently at the newcomer. "Are your parents aware that you are out this late at night?"

_Holy crap, is he a cop?_ Naruto took a sip from his glass of water before replying. "My parents are dead, sir. I live with my uncle now, but he's not in town. He travels a lot."

A brief but uncomfortable silence fell at the simply stated comments and Naruto kicked himself inwardly for being so blunt. But hey, they had asked and he was only telling the truth.

"I'm sorry to hear that, dear," Mikoto finally said as she reached out to tap his hand gently. "What does your uncle do?"

"He writes…books," Naruto mumbled and did his best to focus on his meal, hoping the next question wouldn't be asked. However…

"What kind of books?" Fugaku queried with a raised brow.

Naruto could feel his cheeks burning and he caught Sasuke's knowing smirk as he struggled to find a way to reply to this. Many in school knew about the famous Jiraiya novels which were quite graphic/explicit with their content. There was no way in hell he was going to tell Sasuke's parents that his uncle wrote books about sex or lectured about them to his many adoring fans. It was too embarrassing!

"He writes books about….adult education," he finally muttered.

"Oh, so he's a college professor," Mikoto enthused. "How lovely."

Sasuke buried his choked laughter as he raised the glass to his lips to down its contents quickly. Watching Naruto squirm at the seemingly innocuous interrogation from his parents was just too funny.

Fugaku seemed satisfied enough with that. "Hn. So what extra curricular activities are you engaged in, Naruto?"

Now grateful than ever that he had been accepted into the Martial Arts Club, or Naruto was sure Fugaku would not have appreciated hearing that he was into photography….of the semi-pornographic kind, Naruto cleared his throat and replied demurely. "The Martial Arts Club…sir."

"Oh…so you're in the same club with Sasuke, hmm?"

"He'll be representing Team Taka in the tournament," Sasuke explained, something akin to smug pride in his voice. "He's the one that gave me the injury, Dad. He's that strong."

At this, Naruto blanched and eyed Sasuke with panic, wondering why he would brag about getting beat up. No parent wanted to know that they were sharing a meal with a potential murderer of their son.

"Is that so?" Fugaku replied, now staring at Naruto with undeniable interest. "It's been a while since my son has received such serious wounds in a fight. If memory serves me right, the only person to defeat him was his older brother. Do you know Itachi led Konoha High to two championship titles? He was quite the fighter."

Naruto barely caught the flinch from Sasuke or the tightening of his jaw as he pretended to pick at his salad. He remembered Amaru's words about Sasuke trying to break away from his brother's shadow and Naruto felt his heart stir with understanding now. If Sasuke had to keep living with this everyday, it was no wonder he turned out to be such a self-centered bastard.

"But Sasuke's strong too," Naruto found himself saying before he could control himself. "I'm still hurting from the blows he gave me. And I don't even think he came at me with his full strength. I doubt I'd be sitting here if he had given it a hundred percent."

He tried to ignore the look of surprise on Sasuke's face, blushing hard at what he had just done. He couldn't believe he was actually standing up for him. Christ…must be the lamb stew talking.

"Of course he is," Mikoto enthused with a clap of her hands. "My son is the strongest fighter I know and with you on the team, Naruto, I have no doubt Konoha is going to win the tournament this year again. Now eat up, boys, we need you both strong and healthy."

"Yes ma'am!" came the simultaneous responses from the teenagers as they dug into the meal with gusto, leaving mother and father to share small smiles and knowing looks over their heads.

* * *

Naruto had really thought nothing of the invitation to Sasuke's bedroom. Perhaps it was the after effects of the good meal, or of he and Sasuke helping out with the clearing and washing of the dishes, or the light banter they had all shared…either way, Naruto was feeling pretty damn relaxed and was all too eager to see what the famous Sasuke Uchiha's bedroom was like.

"Whoa…" was the first reaction as he got a look at it. "Your room is freaking hu…get the fuck out of here," Naruto gushed as he noticed the bookshelf and made a straight beeline for Sasuke's manga collection. "You have motherfucking _Fist of the North Star_? Dude! You are a rock star!"

Sasuke laughed softly and closed the door to his bedroom behind him. He set the crutches aside before hobbling to the couch to flop on it like a rag doll. "You can borrow them if you like."

Naruto gasped and held Volume 1 to his chest as if holding on to treasure. "Really? You're not shitting me, Sasuke?"

"No. I've read them several times already."

"How come they still look like new then?" Naruto asked in bemusement as he turned the book over in his hands.

"Because I read carefully, idiot. If you bend the spine though, I'll kill you."

"Well damn. Now, I'm afraid to open the freakin' book!"

"Just learn to read like a normal human being," Sasuke muttered as he forced himself to crawl on his hands and knees towards his video game console. "Want to play a game with me?"

Naruto, always eager to do something at any given time, scooted over to where Sasuke was and eyed his rather impressive collection of games, most of which were new and pretty damn rare to find.

"God, I hate you so much right now," Naruto muttered as he picked up the new _Metal Gear_ series he was yet to play.

"Why? You can afford it, can't you?"

"My uncle's a stingy bastard," Naruto explained as he reached for the controller, while Sasuke set things up. "He won't give me allowance unless he knows I plan to use it for my college fund."

Sasuke snickered and leaned back against the couch as the opening credits of the game began to roll. "Fine then…if you want, I can loan you some games."

Naruto mimicked his seating position, but eyed Sasuke warily. "Wait a minute…why are you being so nice to me?"

Sasuke's cheeks flooded with color, but he stubbornly kept his gaze on the T.V screen. "Just shut up and play, dipshit. Besides…it's my thanks for standing up for me at dinner tonight," he finished quietly as if embarrassed to be admitting such a thing.

Naruto felt hot at the memory of it and shifted restlessly. "It was nothing but the truth. You are strong."

"Not as strong as Itachi though," came the bitter comment as the game began.

Naruto would have said something, but realized he'd have to focus on the screen before him. He still couldn't help wondering just how deep Sasuke's pain ran in regards to being considered second fiddle to his older brother. Naruto didn't have a sibling, so he couldn't really relate. Still…it must stink like hell, he deduced. Forcing himself to focus on the game, he wasn't surprised to find himself losing as Sasuke must have already figured the in and outs of winning. So far, he was getting a smack down of epic proportions.

"Fuck you," Naruto growled, after half an hour and four losses later. "Geez! Go easy on me!"

Sasuke laughed. "Okay, let's try another one…oh yeah…how was the meet tonight?"

Naruto, who was in the process of changing the games, stiffened at the question and wondered how to go about telling Sasuke about his encounter with Amaru.

"It was okay," he finally said. "We came in second. Five gold medals, six silver and two bronze."

"Not bad," Sasuke nodded. "I bet Kusanagi came first, right? How did your girl do?"

Naruto had the grace to blush at the insinuation that he and Amaru were an item. He failed to notice the pained look in his companion's eyes. "She came in first…twice…no, three times. She's fast." _And I don't just mean in the pool either._

"She's a good swimmer," Sasuke agreed softly as Naruto sat back beside him on the floor. "I'm sure you two will be great together…right?"

Naruto stared resolutely at the screen, refusing to respond to the question. There was no doubt he could be good friends with Amaru, but somehow, he was doubtful their relationship would go any deeper than that.

"Don't mind the brash way she acts," Sasuke continued in that same quiet tone. There was a raw edge to his voice, as if he seemed to be struggling to control himself for some reason. "She's really nice deep down…she just needs a real…"

"Friend," Naruto finished. "Right?"

Sasuke's lips quirked in a small smile. "I guess."

"Seems like you're filling that position quite nicely, Sasuke," Naruto said with a small smile of his own. "You two have a lot to talk about apparently."

_Oh God, what the fuck did she tell Naruto?_ Came the panicked thought from Sasuke as he made a show of checking the battery in his controller.

"Yeah, well we've known each other since we were kids, so she's more like a sister to me," he said and took a deep breath. "So if she's going to end up with anyone, I'd rather she end up with you."

For a while, nothing was said as a thick silence descended upon them. Worried that he had pissed off Naruto, Sasuke tried to break the silence when a hoarse "Why?" was heard.

"Wha…what do you mean why?" Sasuke asked in a voice that seemed to quiver, daring to finally glance at Naruto. What he saw had his heart jack hammering in response. There was a dark and yet frantic look in those blue eyes – an intensity that had him trying desperately to gather moisture on his tongue.

"I'm an awful person, Sasuke," Naruto replied quietly. "I drink, I smoke, I curse, and I'm somewhat lazy and as you put it…irresponsible. And there's….there's…" He swallowed. "There's this thing inside of me that I'm scared of," he finally confessed, eyes downcast as if ashamed of this curse. "It nearly killed you, Sasuke, and I'm scared that one day, I'm going to lose control and I'll end up doing something I'm going to regret and I don't want to hurt anyone else like that again, especially not the ones I really…care about," he finished in a weak whisper.

Sasuke was finding it hard to breathe. He had never seen Naruto this…_vulnerable_ and that gut-wrenching feeling of wanting to pull him into his arms and never let go, was beginning to cloud his better judgment. Fuck the promise to keep his hands to himself. He was going to go for it and if Naruto kicked his ass later on then…

_So be it._

When he finally spoke, it was to breathe in a voice he barely recognized as his. "Naruto…"

The blond barely felt the trembling hand beneath his chin forcing him to lift his gaze. Sasuke's face seemed to waver before him, and Naruto realized with dawning horror and shame that his eyes were filling with tears. Great. Just fucking fantastic. Of all the times to break down, it had to be now…in front of this guy.

"Sasuke, I don't…"

"Shssh…" came the husky whisper as Sasuke leaned closer still to finally seal the distance between them. His lips were warm and tentative (almost shy) against Naruto's parted ones. Their breaths mingled as a shock, more potent than Sasuke's blows during their fight, coursed through their young bodies.

_Too…fucking…intense…_

"Please…let me…" Sasuke pleaded into his mouth, and before he could control himself, Naruto _blossomed _for him; his lashes fluttering closed as Sasuke's lips became more in control. It wasn't his first time kissing someone and apparently it wasn't Sasuke's first time either, for the expertise he was displaying so far was pretty damn amazing. Naruto gasped at the pleasure that raced down his spine when their tongues met, relishing in the distinct taste of the meal they had just shared and the unique taste that was Sasuke. He hardly felt himself pressed back against the couch or Sasuke now lying halfway above him as the kiss deepened. His hand sought and found Sasuke's and held on tightly, his hips seeming to move of its own accord and thrusting into Sasuke's grinding ones above him.

A moan was heard and Naruto felt a sudden rush of blood to the head as Sasuke finally released his lips to begin trailing hungry kisses down his neck and towards his ear…his certified weak spot.

_Oh fuck…_

"No…" he gasped weakly, knowing it was going to be a losing battle if this didn't stop this soon. He was supposed to be grossed out by this. He was supposed to beat him up for daring to…

"Sasuke…stop…" He whimpered as Sasuke licked the lobe gently, his eyes squeezing shut as he struggled to hold on to his sanity.

_No…no…no! I can't do this! I just…_

"No, goddamnit!" He finally cried out, pushing Sasuke away from him and staggering to his feet as he struggled to gather some much needed air into his lungs.

"Naruto…wait," Sasuke began, trying to reach out to what he was rapidly losing.

"Don't bother," Naruto said quickly as he searched for the jacket he had taken off earlier. "I have to…I have to go…I don't…" He ran trembling fingers through his hair, unable to look into those dark eyes that still burned for him. "I came to say thanks for the set up with Amaru…that's all…and…and...fuck!"

And with that frustrated curse, Naruto fled the room and down the flight of stairs as if afraid that Sasuke would come chasing after him. He stopped long enough to give a polite bow and breathless 'thanks for dinner and goodnight' to the bemused parents who were watching T.V in the living room, before excusing himself and dashing out of the house.

It was a miracle he was able to get home in one piece; barely greeting Ms. Fuyutsuki as he ran up to his bedroom and promptly locked himself in. He dove beneath the comfort of his blanket (pulling it all the way over his head) and squeezed his eyes shut. He was still trembling all over…still in shock at how far he had allowed Sasuke to go with him tonight. What the hell was wrong with him? Where was that bravado he had displayed on the roof the other day? What had happened to the statement of never giving in to Sasuke even if he was the last man on earth?

_/You might like it…/_

"Hell no," he whispered harshly, burying his face into the pillow. His traitorous body was, unfortunately, still reliving every sensation of Sasuke's hard body pressed against him, the way their hips had moved, their obvious boners straining within their jeans…but even worse was the way his tongue and lips still tingled with the taste…

_Oh God…_

…the heady, delicious taste of Sasuke. Jesus fucking Christ…no one was allowed to be that good a kisser. _No one_.

"Oh man…" came the low helpless moan. "I'm fucked."

* * *

***M.I.L.F** - I'm sure most of you already know what this means (what Naruto was thinking, such a bad, baaaaad boy!) but just in case you don't, it means - 'Mom I'd Like to Fuck'.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes:** Thank you, kind/fabulous/stupendous reviewers! And now without further ado...

**Warnings:** Lime alert...ish...

* * *

**Chapter Eight:**

_Just one measly kiss. It's not as if I fucking raped him! Why the hell did he have to run away like that for?_

But then again…who was he kidding? As angry as he tried to be, Sasuke was still floating on air and considering it was a Monday - his least favorite day of the week - he was feeling less irritated than he normally would. All weekend, he had spent as much time reliving those precious few moments with Naruto. He still had to pinch himself to make sure the entire thing hadn't been a dream, but no, he had woken up the next morning to find the same video games he had played with Naruto still on the floor, a few tufts of his tell-tale blond locks still left on the couch, and Mikoto reminding him of that 'nice-young-man-who-did-leave-in-quite-a-hurry' while having breakfast.

As he slipped into his school shoes and closed his locker, he wondered if things would be awkward between them now. There was no doubt that Naruto had enjoyed it…or at least had been getting into it. The boy had _responded_. Sasuke had felt it and _damn_, had that done a number on him. He just couldn't get over how sweet Naruto had tasted or how hard that toned body had felt beneath him…and let's not even talk about when Naruto had thrust his hips…

_Shit. Not a good time to get an erection, Uchiha Sasuke. Classes are about to…_

"Sasuke? Sasuke! It's you!" came the excited cry as Karin all but threw herself into his arms. He suffered her embrace, not really having the heart to shove her off due to all the stuff she's done in the past few days. She could prove to be useful when she put her mind to it.

"How do you feel now?" She pulled back to eye him, noticing that the thick bandage once on his left cheek was, thankfully, now reduced to only a smaller band-aid. His color had returned and he wasn't limping anymore which was a good thing.

"Looking good, captain," Suigetsu hailed as he and Juugo arrived soon after. "Less road kill and more human."

"Shut the fuck up," Sasuke muttered, as he began to lead the way to class. "My weekend was spent trying to get this damn body back in shape." _Among other things._ "You try forcing yourself to run on the treadmill for hours on end to strengthen it again."

"But at least you're doing better now, that's the most important thing," Juugo said quietly, a small smile on his face. "I saw Uzumaki Naruto earlier. He looks okay too."

At the mention of the blond's name, it was all Sasuke could do not to falter in his step. He was doing a fine job maintaining that look of casual indifference, although his heart was currently doing the tango. If his need for Naruto had been on his to-do list before, the tantalizing sneak peek of how amazing they'd be together, on a physical level at least, was definitely not making things any easier for him. His awareness of the blond was even more heightened and the memory of those broken words whispered in the quiet of his room – a confession he was sure Naruto had never revealed to anyone else – gave Sasuke a glimmer of hope that maybe…just maybe Naruto was beginning to open up to him.

_I want to know everything about you, Naruto. What makes you tick. What makes you happy or sad or …_

"Earth to Uchiha Sasuke," came the sing-song voice next to his ear, which forced him to look up and into the smiling visage of Haruno Sakura. What the hell did she want with him?

"We're taking pictures of school teams, Sasuke," she said, holding out a writing pad and a pen. "So, you'll have to get your club members to show up on Wednesday afternoon after school…in their uniforms for the picture. It's going to be in the senior yearbook, okay?"

He gave a light grunt in response as he signed on the paper before noticing he'd have to write down the names of all the teammates to show up. Once done, he handed the pad over. "That's it, right?" he asked, impatience laced in his tone. "I don't have to -"

"Eh? Naruto?" came the incredulous tone of disbelief from the pink-haired girl as she read through the names. "He really is a member of your club? That slacker? Haahaaha…"

She faltered as she noticed the cold look that now filled Sasuke's eyes, shivering as a feeling akin to murderous intent overwhelmed her.

"What?" she said defensively. "I'm just surprised he's in any club, that's all. You know how lazy and irresponsible he is. You said so yourself the other day."

"So what?" Sasuke replied in a voice that seemed devoid of emotion.

Sakura huffed. "Why would you want him on your team? He's -"

"Perverted? Rude? Lazy? Dumb? Anything else I'm missing?" Sasuke replied with a sneer. His features suddenly darkened as he leaned closer to whisper into her ear. "You see what your eyes want you to see, Sakura. I see something else you will _never _see."

And with that enigmatic response, he brushed past the stunned girl and into the noisy classroom, now wondering if he could catch Naruto sometime before practice this afternoon. They really did need to talk, even though he had the feeling that he was the last person the blond wanted to see anytime soon.

* * *

It wasn't as hot as the other days, and Naruto basked in the sun's warm rays as he lay on the rooftop, skipping his Math and Literature class before lunchtime. He closed his eyes, arms beneath his head as tendrils of smoke escaped his cigarette to mingle with the breeze. He had received an apologetic text message from Amaru, where she hoped Naruto wasn't too upset with her for getting drunk or saying things that might have made him upset. A small smile came to his lips as he thought of the brief conversation they had this morning. Gone was the brazen gal with the leopard print bra and over the phone lines, Naruto could almost envision the 'pure' Amaru of his dreams, with her shy and slightly breathless voice. Won over, he had accepted an invitation to take her to the park this Saturday.

_Still…_

All that wasn't enough to distract him from the events of last Friday night, no matter how hard he had worked on doing his best to forget about it all weekend. He had spent his Saturday hanging out with the guys at Shikamaru's baseball game (Konoha won by two runs in the seventh inning), and later squandering their money at arcades and at the movies. Sunday was spent at the temple with Ms. Fuyutsuki and then his monthly pilgrimage to visit his parents' graves. For some reason, that particular visit had been more poignant than the others, for he sat before them in meditative silence, asking them all the questions he couldn't say out loud.

He knew he couldn't be gay. He still liked girls and enjoyed everything about them (he was more than relieved to know he could still get a boner from a good porn scene as evidence from the flick they had watched in Chouji's house Saturday night) but how else could he explain his freaking response to Sasuke's kiss? Was it simply the enormity of the moment that got to him? That had to be it. Naruto had felt overwhelmed with his confession (and he was still kicking himself for opening up like that), so he figured he would have done the same thing if anyone was in the room with him at the time. It didn't matter if it was Sasuke or Kiba or Amaru or anyone else. He had been vulnerable and goddamn Sasuke had taken advantage of the situation.

_Shit._

He turned on his side and tried to block out the sudden image of the way Sasuke had looked at him in the heat of the moment. Now he had an idea of why girls would throw themselves at his feet. Those dark eyes, which were usually expressionless, had come alive that night in his arms. Naruto couldn't explain it, but hell…if looks could set a person on fire, Sasuke would have roasted him to a crisp easily.

_Shit. Shit. Double shit!_

Well, there really was only one thing to do now and that was pretend as if Friday had never happened. There was practice today at the dojo and short of acting like Sasuke didn't exist, Naruto figured he'd have to play it cool and act like it had meant absolutely nothing…well because in all honesty it had meant absolutely nothing. He definitely wasn't in love with (or lusting after) Sasuke and Sasuke only wanted his ass. Pure physical attraction was all they had between them, so no harm done.

"Howdy, fuckface," came the familiar greeting, forcing Naruto to lift his lashes to acknowledge his friend's presence.

"All done?" he asked as Kiba sat beside him, reaching into Naruto's pocket to bum the pack of cigarettes for himself.

"Finally," Kiba grumbled. "Chouji's still working on the lockers though. Geez. I mean you'd think we stole the guy's money or something."

Naruto snickered and sat up to lean against the wall, like Kiba; offering his friend a light. "Well writing 'Shithead Fukurada' on his desk wasn't exactly a bright idea, moron. Of course you'd get caught!"

"That's what he gets for giving us an F," Kiba protested as he took a long drag and then lowered his head with a groan. "I'm beat. Man, and I thought that would be the class I'd at least get a C in. Guess, we just weren't meant to be the smart ones, Naruto, eh?"

Naruto's lips quirked in a weak smile, wondering why Kiba's words would have him concerned all of a sudden. There were only a few months to graduation, and Naruto knew his grades weren't the best. Hell, even hanging out here on the rooftop, when he ought to be in class, was a bad habit he was so used to, it was going to be hard trying to break it. Shikamaru's words of the way others perceived him were beginning to hit home. Memories of Ms. Fuyutsuki slaving over his homework and trying to get him to focus made him feel queasy to his stomach. Even the rare times his uncle had tried to help him out, and he had done nothing but slack off (much to his uncle's annoyance and subsequent spankings), had Naruto wincing inwardly at just what he really was becoming. He had to start taking things seriously if he hoped to make a change for the better. Oh, he wasn't planning on becoming a saint anytime soon, but at least…

_Show them my other side…the gardener…_

"Hellooo, anyone home?" Kiba teased as he nudged Naruto gently. "What's with the serious look all of a sudden?"

"Kiba…"

"Hmm?"

Naruto pursed his lips in thought, wondering how to go about this without sounding like he was selling out. "Hey…why don't you join a club or something? I mean…get involved in some way, huh?"

He suffered the wary look thrown his way, and then the scowl that filled his friend's features. "What club do you want me to join, Naruto _sensei_?"

"Ah come on," Naruto said quickly, trying to smile and ease the tension between them. "I'm not saying you have to join, but…you know…just something you might want to consider…"

"Hm."

"Forget I asked," Naruto mumbled and shrugged. "Do what you like."

There was an uncomfortable silence and then Kiba crushed out his cigarette to mutter, "I'm thinking of joining the soccer club actually. I know it's kinda late, but Coach Dan says I'll make a great alternate if I wanted to see what it's like…"

Naruto tried to hide his smile at the reluctant admission, feeling a swell of pride for his friend. "I'm glad to hear that, Kiba. I'm sure you'll be great at it!"

"You…you think so?" Kiba asked, a blush now staining his cheeks as he tried to mask his embarrassment with a shrug. "I dunno…"

"Coach Dan must have seen something in you to court you, eh? How…?"

"I was just kicking the ball around in the field when I thought no one was there," Kiba replied, still blushing although his eyes seemed alight with memories of what happened that day. "I didn't even know he was watching me until I scored a goal and I heard someone clapping for me. Shit. It was hella embarrassing, man. I wanted to bolt, but he said he'd play one-on-one with me for a while and if he scored off me, he'll force me to join the club."

"Who won?"

"I did. I couldn't let him win…because I was trying _not_ to get into the club, but hell…it was…fun," Kiba said almost shyly. "For the first time…I felt there was a teacher who wasn't laughing at me or making fun of me…but really wanted me to succeed, you know? Geez, I sound like one of those crappy romance characters or something."

Naruto laughed and leaned his head upon Kiba's shoulder, more than glad that his friend was finally being accepted in some way. Only he knew of Kiba's struggle to fit in – how his 'loudness' masked the boy that was really cool and kind inside.

_Aren't we all the same?_

"I'll cheer for you," Naruto said quietly. "I'm sure you'll be the best soccer play when they put you in the field. Show those wussies just how it's done, eh?"

"Naruto…"

He heard the slight catch in Kiba's voice and looked up to see if his friend was all right. He was, however, definitely not expecting to see the heated look that had come into those piercing black eyes or how close Kiba was coming to him until he felt the warm lips pressed gently against his.

_The…the hell? What is he doing? What the fuck is he doing?_

"Ki…Kiba…"

Big mistake on his part to open his mouth as Kiba's tongue slid in, sending Naruto's body trembling at the intimate contact. With monumental effort, he managed to pull away…although not far enough, both panting in surprise at the way things were swiftly turning between them.

"What the hell, Kiba?" Naruto asked in confusion. "What are you…?"

"I can't help it," came the low moan. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but…I know you said I shouldn't and that the pretend thing was over, but this…this isn't pretend anymore. I really do like kissing you…"

"You have a girlfriend!" Naruto all but screamed in disbelief.

"So? I like boys…well not all boys, just you…" He moved in again, taking Naruto by surprise and pushing him back to the warm concrete ground, his lips getting bolder as he relished in the taste of his friend.

Naruto, for his part, was still in shock at what was going on. His body was still being a traitorous bastard as it responded to the physical contact, but his mind (and heart) screamed for rational thinking to take over. This wasn't what he wanted…

_(Sasuke tasted…better…)_

…he didn't want his friendship with Kiba to go down this path…

_(Sasuke had a way of doing this thing with his tongue that…)_

He jerked as he felt Kiba's hand tugging his shirt to caress his naked torso beneath, finding and caressing a nipple before pinching it gently. He gasped at the feel of Kiba's warm tongue and gentle scrap of his teeth against his neck.

_Oh God…Kiba…!_

With near desperation, he shook his head and tried to throw his friend off. However, a sudden loud cough had them both crashing back to reality and turning around to stare at the boy who had filled Naruto's thoughts just seconds earlier.

_Oh shit!_

"I brought the manga you wanted to borrow as well as the video games. You left in such a hurry that night you forgot them," came the voice cold enough to freeze the pits of Hell.

Naruto finally pushed Kiba off him and wiped his lips quickly; unaware of how flushed and goddamn molestable he looked in his frazzled state. Trying to breathe evenly as well as gather moisture on his seemingly parched tongue, he rose to his feet on unsteady legs and eyed the black bag Sasuke was holding, feeling his cheeks darken even more at the memory of their last meeting. Why the hell did it suddenly feel like he was…_cheating_ on the guy? It didn't help that Sasuke looked as if he had just witnessed something disgusting and wanted it erased from his memory, and with the way his lips were tightening…it was clear the boy was not very happy.

"Sasuke…"

"What does he mean by 'left in such a hurry that night'," Kiba was saying as he rose to his feet to eye the couple.

"Why don't you tell him, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, a smirk now coming to his lips. "Why don't you tell him where you were on Friday night?"

Naruto captured his lower lip between his teeth, struggling not to run up to Sasuke to punch his lights out for what he was trying to do.

"Did you go to his house?" Kiba asked. "Naruto?" he asked more incessantly when the blond refused to answer. "Did you go to his house?"

"Come on, Naruto," Sasuke said, lowering his voice to a husky whisper. "Tell him, why don't you? Tell him how you gave in to me…"

"Shut the fuck up!" came the roar. "Nothing happened!"

"Nothing happened?" Sasuke gave an exaggerated gesture of hurt, before taking a step forward with infuriation on his visage. "Nothing _happened_? I don't call that kiss _nothing,_ Naruto! You sure as hell were getting into it!"

"You took advantage of me!"

"Oh, please! Like hell I did! You _liked_ it! Admit it, you fucking hypocrite!"

"Hypo…" Naruto blanched at the insult.

"Yes, you heard right," Sasuke continued relentlessly. "Jesus! You come here and you make out with Kiba, telling me you 'don't like boys', crap! And when it comes to me, you act like I have some disease. I'm sick of your bullshit, Naruto. Why don't you just admit it? You do like it, so if you can be with him, why the fuck can't you be with me?"

He cursed inwardly at how plaintive his question had sounded and disgusted with himself, he flung the bag towards Naruto, who barely caught it before it fell to the ground. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and then opened them, his gaze now dark and as cold as it used to be.

"Practice after school. Don't miss it, or I'll fucking kill you this time."

"Don't you fucking threaten him," Kiba growled as Sasuke began to walk away. "You don't own him, asshole. So back the hell off."

The captain stopped and looked over his shoulder, a devilish glint in his eye as his lips quirked into a smug smile. "Enjoy him while you can, Kiba. I haven't given up yet. Just waiting until he realizes who he really wants."

When he was finally gone with a loud slam of the door leading into the school behind him, a silence so thick, it could be cut with a knife, descended on the two boys. Naruto was still cradling the black carryall bag to his chest, his gaze lowered to the ground as if wishing it could open and swallow him whole. Just what the fuck had happened? How could his life be turned upside down in the space of a few minutes? Just who the hell was Sasuke to call him a hypocrite and assume he was automatically boy crazy just because of Kiba…and come to think of it, who the hell gave Kiba the right to manhandle him like that anyway?

"Naruto…Jesus, I had no idea you were…"

_Shut up…_

"…what the fuck were you doing at his house anyway? Since when…"

_Shut the hell up…_

"…and there he is acting like he freakin' owns you. God, that guy…."

"Shut up, Kiba!" he finally bellowed and reached out to grab his friend by the scruff of his blazer, eyes dark with fury. "Just shut the hell up!"

"All right, all right," Kiba wheezed, as Naruto seemed to be lifting him up the ground…and with only one hand too. Talk about the guy not knowing his own strength. "Put me down for fuck's sake. I get it, okay? I'm sorry!"

He coughed and struggled to catch his breath as Naruto finally released him. He sagged against the wall and lowered his gaze, realizing now that he was fighting a losing battle here. If Naruto was so disgusted with the whole affair, what hope was there for him?

"It won't happen again," he said softly. "I just…I got carried away, and I'm sorry."

Naruto, who had paced away to gather himself, stopped long enough to take a much needed deep breath. "Kiba…"

"It's okay, don't say anything else," the other boy interrupted with a light laugh. "It didn't mean anything, okay? I'm…"

"I love you," Naruto said quietly and firmly. "I love you…as a friend and only a friend. Do you understand? I want to be able to come to your house and hang out like we used to without any weirdness between us. I don't want to lie on your bed wondering if you'll rip my pants off and take advantage of me. I don't want you 'acting' around me, get it? So please…please let's just go back to the way things were. Before this whole mess started, huh?"

Kiba felt a ridiculous sting of tears burning in his eyes as he stared at the earnest and pleading look on his best friend's features. He lowered his gaze again and nodded softly. "Sure thing, Naruto…whatever you say. I won't touch you again…in that way. I promise. Still friends?" He looked up and gave a more genuine albeit shy smile, holding out his fist for their usual greeting.

Naruto smiled, relief washing over him as he walked up to complete the fist bump motion, "Of course."

Kiba eyed the bag and nodded towards it. "So…what's in the bag?"

Naruto unzipped it to reveal the manga collection…all 27 volumes, including two of the latest video games Naruto had badly wanted to play.

"Holy shit," Kiba breathed in awe. "He actually….what the fuck did you do to make him give you these things?"

Naruto could feel his cheeks burning, glad Kiba was still ogling at the video game to pay much attention to how much his question affected him. He was still pissed off at Sasuke for what he said, but still…if only a kiss could grant this, Naruto had to wonder how far it would go to have Sasuke do whatever the hell he wanted.

_Best push that thought aside,_ he thought as he and Kiba sat down to begin reading the manga together. He'd deal with Sasuke and their weird relationship when the time came.

* * *

"Someone's pissed off," Suigetsu noted dryly as he watched Sasuke punching and kicking the heavy bags with a viciousness that did not betray his injuries from last week. "I wonder what happened now."

Karin could only sigh. She could swear that Sasuke's mood swings were either a sign of the greatest bipolar disorder ever diagnosed, or he was going through some form of male PMS she was yet to hear of. Either way, she was getting slightly weary of dealing with his attitude. Maybe all he needed was a good lay, but she had given him none too subtle hints in the past, and no luck so far.

Suigetsu, who was sitting on the floor, leaned back on his arms and looking upside down, noticed who was walking into the dojo. "Oy, Naruto. Wanna spar with me?"

"Hi, Naruto," Karin greeted as she drank from her water bottle. "Good to see you."

Naruto nodded at the friendly welcomes, including Juugo's shy wave and Sai's nod…although Naruto had the feeling Sai was staring at him with something close to irritation, but he couldn't be sure.

"Finally here, Naruto," Kakashi said as he stepped out of his office. "Good. Stretch out with the others for fifteen minutes…and that includes you, Sasuke," he said in a louder voice, as the dark-haired boy had been doing a good job of ignoring everyone so far. "Once done, I want Sai and Naruto to go first. Call me when you're ready." With that he disappeared into his office, leaving the fighters to make their way to the middle of the dojo to begin their warm ups.

"I'll help you," Sai offered, causing Naruto to blink in surprise.

"Uh…sure…"

"First, you have to do the split," Sai explained as he sat before Naruto and spread his legs apart as wide as they could go, while holding out his hands. "Hold on to me and pull as hard as you can and I'll do the same, go it?"

Doing as he was told, Naruto fought back a wince as Sai seemed determined to pull out his arms from his sockets. Not wanting to give in to the pain, Naruto reciprocated the gesture, reluctantly admitting that the stretch was loosening up his leg and arm muscles all the same, and considering how tense he was from all the drama on the roof earlier, this was definitely helping.

"Feels good, doesn't it…when you get over the initial pain," Sai said quietly.

"Yeah…I guess."

"Sasuke and I do this all the time," Sai added, watching the blond's face for any reaction to this.

Naruto, not really sure why Sai was telling him the unnecessary information, shrugged. "Okay." _What the fuck does he want me to say?_

From his peripheral vision though, he caught sight of Sasuke and Juugo stretching out together and noticed the thick wad of bandages still around Sasuke's waist as he lifted his arms above his head. Lowering his lashes, he stared at the wooden floor, trying to erase the memories of the fight from his mind.

"Your turn…"

"Huh?" He looked up as Sai rose to his feet, motioning for Naruto to mimic a position that Karin was currently doing. It looked like she was lying between her legs and Suigetsu was happily sitting on her back, forcing her to go even lower. Ouch.

"I'll sit on you," Sai offered and Naruto groaned inwardly, not sure he was willing to allow his back to suffer the extra punishment.

"Fine…holy….!"

"Too much?"

Naruto hissed in a sharp breath, realizing that Sai was deliberately sitting too hard on him. He could literally taste the wood polish and he grunted in response, unwilling to give the other boy the satisfaction of knowing he was in pain.

"Time," Sasuke suddenly called out, forcing Sai to get off Naruto (much to his inner relief), and to fall into place with the other fighters. For a brief moment, Naruto caught Sasuke's dark look and he shivered, remembering the threat of Sasuke not giving up on him yet.

"We're ready, sensei," the captain called out, forcing Kakashi to step out of his office again.

"All right then…Sai and Naruto?"

"Yes, sensei," came the simultaneous cries from the students as they rose to their feet and made their way to the middle of the dojo.

Naruto could feel his chest tightening and a sliver of fear and worry inching down his spine as he fell into his stance. He tried to control his breathing, to remind himself that this was only a spar and not to let his emotions get the best of him. He could feel all their gazes trained on him, as if they were on the ready to pounce should he decide to go nuts again. His body tingled in awareness, especially knowing that Sasuke was watching his every move with that rather disconcerting intensity.

_Calm down…calm down…calm down…_

"I won't let you have him," came the sudden quiet words – said so quietly that only Naruto could hear it, for Sai had moved towards him with a speed he had not anticipated. This, in turn, completely threw Naruto for a loop…and subsequently off balance.

He fell to the floor with a painful thump, his chest burning with the blow given to him by his opponent. Holy fuck! For such a seemingly quiet guy, Sai had the punch of a beast.

"Whoa!" Naruto flipped out of the way as Sai swung an arm in his direction. He caught said arm and leaped above Sai, stretching out a leg to slam it into the boy's lower back with a reverse spin. Landing to the floor on the balls of his feet, he charged for Sai, grunting as they met halfway in a stalemate, blocking each others blows with a force that knocked them apart soon after. For the next three minutes, they went at each other with a ferocity that had their audience watching in quiet awe. Naruto, who was doing a good job in keeping his head together, had the feeling that Sai was doing a whole lot more than just sparring. There seemed to be desperation in his movements, and he had to wonder if Sai was actually fighting for himself or for the benefit/approval of someone else.

"Gah!" Sai cried out as Naruto lashed out with another blow to his back, sending him to his knees. With an arm behind him to soothe the pain, he looked into the panting blond's visage with something close to venom in his eyes. He would have risen to his feet to finish off the fight when the sudden,

"_Yame_!" from Kakashi brought it to an end. "Good job, guys."

"Yeah," Karin enthused as she and Juugo applauded in appreciation. "Very well done."

Naruto blushed and sat beside her, accepting the water bottle she thrust at him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she replied with a warm smile, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose and twirling a strand of her hair at the same time. She loved watching Naruto fight. He looked so…_animal _and raw and downright sexy as hell. Man, was she hot and bothered.

"Let's see how well you've healed, Sasuke," Kakashi motioned towards his captain. "You and Karin."

Karin winced at the sudden decision to pit her against her ex-crush. "Eek! Sensei…"

Kakashi smiled in reassurance. "I know you're worried about…"

"Come at me with all you've got, Karin," Sasuke interrupted curtly. "I won't break."

To say he was still royally pissed off at the events on the roof would be the understatement of the century. Sasuke still couldn't get over the image of Kiba lying above Naruto…of those hands caressing Naruto's stomach…Kiba's lips all over Naruto's skin…Naruto arched and writhing beneath Kiba like a slut. Jesus fucking Christ! If he hadn't been seeing red at the time, Sasuke would have found the scene a goddamn turn on, but knowing it was Naruto…the Naruto that HE wanted, it was just too damn much.

"Maybe you should spar with Suigetsu," Karin whimpered as she took in the thunderous scowl on the captain's visage. "I don't think I want to die yet."

Kiba of all people…_why?_ What the hell did he see in that crazy bastard?

"Begin!"

He fell into his stance and waited for Karin to attack, his mind churning with distracted thoughts. On autopilot, he blocked Karin's kicks and punches, already familiar with her fighting style and basically going through the motions.

Maybe he ought to speak to Kiba after all…maybe he'd know the secret to why Naruto liked him so much. But damnit! He _didn't _want to speak to that moron! He'd rather eat a bowl of hot coals than stoop to Kiba's level. Naruto could do better than that. Naruto HAD to see that he was ten times…no…a hundred times better than Kiba.

_What the fuck do I do?_

He dodged Karin's attack by flipping over a few times. Two minutes later, and finally having enough, he finished the fight with a single solid blow to the back of her neck, sending her toppling to the floor in a slump.

_What the fuck do I do now?_

He barely acknowledged the well wishes from his teammates, although a reluctant tingle of pleasure filled his chest as Naruto gave him a small smile.

_That smile…_

"Naruto," he finally called out, surprised at himself for even daring to do what he was about to…well do.

The blond, who was having a lively chat with Suigetsu over the merits of H.A.L.O, looked over his shoulder, wariness filling his countenance. "What?"

"We're going to the diner after this. Want to join us?"

Aware that his heartbeat was getting louder and louder, Sasuke held his breath and waited for the response. When it seemed like Naruto was going to refuse, he added quickly, but in a voice that maintained its even keel. "I want to talk to you guys about our opponents. You might as well get to know them."

Blue and black clashed in a silent battle of wills before Naruto finally gave in with a light shrug. "Sure, captain. Why the hell not?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes:**Thanks again for all your reviews/comments. I seem to be drawing some extreme reactions with this…although I must confess that I am not one of those wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am writers when it comes to make-outs with my characters (at least with long stories). And I don't know about you, but for a guy who's been 'straight' for so long, I doubt it would be that easy to fall head over heels for another guy that easily, so forgive Naruto's stubbornness/cluelessness. It takes some getting used to, eh?

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Nine:**

It was weird to be with Sasuke's posse. However, Naruto had to remind himself that he was now _a part_ of this crew and would have to make the best of it. The looks of surprise or shock that was etched on some students faces as they walked out of school and towards the diner (it was only about two blocks away), would have pleased Naruto greatly if it wasn't for the overwhelming edge to give them all the finger in salutation. However, he behaved himself; suffering Suigetsu's enthusiastic one-sided conversation about clearing all levels of his latest game. Naruto didn't want to burst the kid's bubble by bragging that he had cleared the levels himself about a month ago, but instead chose to nod in all the right places. Funny how he had always assumed that Suigetsu deserved an indefinite vacation at a mental asylum, but listening to the boy now, Naruto couldn't help comparing him a little to Kiba. In fact, under the right circumstances, Naruto was sure that Kiba and Suigetsu would make great pals…if they could stand each other long enough.

Juugo, he already knew, was a quiet and nice guy despite the way he looked. The big guy would be the first to offer you a towel to wipe your sweat after a sparring session, or be willing to get some water for you if you only asked. He seemed to like listening to others do all the talking, and only chimed in when absolutely necessary. Then there was Karin, who was proving to be a whole lot more than the bitchy persona she presented most of the time to the rest of the school. She could be gentle when she chose to be – like the time she tended to his wounds, or how girlish she looked when she blushed or how goofy she acted when she was embarrassed about something.

As for Sai…

Naruto eyed the dark-haired boy walking beside Sasuke ahead of him. He was talking to their team captain, a light stain of pink on his cheeks that didn't seem to want to fade away. Even though they weren't that far apart, Naruto still couldn't make out what was being said, but whatever it was, Sasuke seemed interested enough to give a light nod or reply at certain intervals.

/I won't let you have him…/

_Geez. What was that all about?_ Naruto frowned and scratched the bridge of his nose, just as the familiar building of the diner was seen. It wasn't as if he wanted Sasuke. Sai was more than welcome to him. Fighting over Sasuke was the least of Naruto's worries - maybe he ought to make that clear to Sai when the opportunity presented itself.

"You kids will behave yourself today, right?" the diner owner grumbled as he noticed the group walking into his establishment. "Don't need you scaring off my customers with your yelling." He glared pointedly at Karin as he said this, causing the girl to blush.

"Sorry," she muttered as she sat in their usual booth, patting the space next to her for Naruto. "Come sit with me, Naruto."

Naruto really didn't want to sit beside her, but ended up squeezed between her and Juugo, as Suigetsu, Sai and Sasuke sat across them. The booth was small…intimate… and knees and feet were bumped and brushed against as everyone tried to get comfortable. Naruto wondered if the gods were against him for he was sitting directly across Sasuke, whose knee was definitely brushing against his at this very moment. Weird, considering he was having to deal with Karin and Juugo beside him, and yet, he was more aware of Sasuke than the other two.

_That's what a goddamn kiss does to you,_ his mind screamed. _You become more aware of the other person, no matter what happens._

"…Naruto?"

"Huh?" He blinked and forced himself to focus on his surroundings. Karin was leaning even closer to him, her flowery perfume threatening to make him sneeze.

"I asked what you wanted to order. Janice is here."

Janice, a buxom woman with bleached blond hair and too much makeup (she was doing a damn good imitation of a clown with all that pancake on her face), smacked her gum even louder and tapped her note pad. "What's it gonna be, sweetheart?"

"Uum…" Naruto picked up the menu before him and scanned the list of foods, hardly seeing anything as he felt everyone's gaze trained on him. Man, talk about the pressure.

"Try the Philly Cheese," Suigetsu offered. "American and tastes great!"

"Fattening too," Karin added with a sneer, causing Suigetsu to stick out his tongue in response. "Try the salad bowl, Naruto," she offered. "It's delicious."

"No, definitely Philly Cheese," came the rebuttal, and Karin would have gone after him again, when Sasuke cut in with mild irritation in his voice.

"I'm sure Naruto can order whatever the fuck he wants without you two arguing like idiots." He nodded towards the blond and then tapped the menu. "What's it gonna be, Naruto?"

Naruto stared into the black eyes that betrayed nothing in its expression. What was Sasuke thinking? Why had he really invited Naruto here? Well…something about talking about their opponents, but still…what lay beyond the cool façade? He found he wanted to get some kind of reaction from Sasuke…to have his hackles rising again. He glanced towards Sai and barely caught the brief but annoyed look on the boy's face. Suddenly feeling cheeky, Naruto gave a brilliant smile and snapped the menu shut.

"I'll have whatever Sasuke's having."

It was barely felt, but the light jerk of Sasuke's knee against his, was the only tell tale sign that his answer had affected the dark-haired boy. Naruto had to give it to Sasuke. He could put on a nonchalant front like none other.

"All right, that's a double cheeseburger with spicy fries and a large coke," Janice rattled off. "Be back in a few."

"Oh, just thinking of all the calories is killing me," Karin said with a dramatic groan of misery. "And I wonder how you guys remain so skinny. I have to work out twice as hard if I ate anything like that."

"Worry about your fat cells later," Sasuke muttered as he pulled out the piece of paper from inside his blazer pocket. He spread it out on the table. "Here's a list of all the schools participating."

Suigetsu whistled. "Wow, twenty, eh? That's five more than last year if memory serves me right."

Sasuke nodded. "Sai's been doing some investigation and we don't really have to worry about most of the teams until we get to the main three schools – Seihou Gakuen, Hiro High and Seiwa Gakuen. You might not have heard of them, Naruto," Sasuke looked up and into the curious blue eyes as he said this. "But these three schools have the best fighters in the country."

"Seiwa Gakuen is led by Gaara. This is what he looks like." He nodded towards Sai, who pulled out a folder from his school bag. He opened it to pull out a sheet of paper, complete with a picture of a sullen-looking teen with a lot of kohl around his eyes (talk about a Goth freak), short spiky red hair and a distinct tattoo on his forehead. Sai apparently took his job very seriously, for the sheet not only had the picture, but stats about Gaara's fighting style and number of win/loss ratios in the past year. Two local tournaments had been held and this Gaara fellow was yet to lose a fight.

"What's so dangerous about Gaara," Sasuke continued, "is that he barely gets a scratch on him during fights. He's that fast and has left his opponents either badly injured or paralyzed. Joining him will be Kankurou, his brother. Temari…his sister…."

"Temari?" Naruto blinked. Where had he heard that name before? Blond hair…tough chick….Shikamaru…! His assumptions were confirmed as the sheet with her stats was placed before him. "This can't be right. Temari's in Kusanagi Girls High School. She can't fight for Seiwa, can she?"

"Since when did she become a student at Kusanagi?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow, glancing at Sai.

"I never heard of a transfer," Sai reported quietly. "Perhaps she was pretending to be a student of Kusanagi…to get close to you." He looked at Naruto as he said this, causing the blond to flush at the insinuation. Could it really be that Temari was a spy? Had she really come to the meet just for him? No…it was just too much of a coincidence. She couldn't possibly have known that Naruto was a member of the club.

"Did she speak to you?" Sasuke asked.

"Not really…she said she was in Amaru's class…wait…did you tell Amaru that I was a member of the club?"

"I don't..."

"Does it really matter now?" Karin interrupted. "I mean, even if she knows that Naruto's a part of the team, what difference does it make? You don't really think the other schools don't have their spies on us too? Hell, they might be in this very diner right now."

The boys seemed to sit up a bit straighter at this, each trying to look around the diner as inconspicuously as possible. There really didn't seem to be anyone paying much attention to their booth, even though the place was fairly busy.

Sasuke rubbed his temples and took a deep breath. "All the same. Karin's right. Nothing we can do now about it. We've got Gaara, Kankurou, Temari, Yashamaru, and Matsuri."

"Only five?" Naruto asked in bemusement as Sai began to clear up the papers.

"Teams can have at most six members per team," Sai explained as he pulled out another sheaf to place on the table. "Here you go, Sasuke."

"All right, next we've got Hiro High's team Cloud," Sasuke passed the papers to Naruto. "They are tough, but still relatively new, so we don't know how strong they are. Their strongest is Kirabi…although he calls himself Killer Bee and thinks he's a rapper."

Suigetsu chortled. "He's trying to make a CD. Remember what he did that last tournament? How he began to rap in the middle of the fight and confused poor Juugo."

Juugo had the grace to blush. "He defeated me by distracting me," came the quiet reply. "I hope I don't fall for that this time."

Naruto eyed the pictures of Hiro's fighters. "Yugito…" She was a hot-looking blond. "Samui…" Another tough-looking chick with a severe shoulder length hair cut. "Karui…" Another babe with hair that looked like dreadlocks and dark skin. "And…holy shit!"

"What?" Sasuke asked. "You know him?" He noticed Naruto still gawking at the picture of the dark-skinned teen with blond hair that wasn't all too different from Naruto's.

"Eh…sort of…" Naruto mumbled as he eyed Omoi's (the dark-skinned teen) stats. 'Sort of' was putting it mildly. Omoi was a good friend as they had gone to grade school together before his father's job had forced his family to move to the other side of the city. If he remembered correctly, Omoi had been a pretty damn good fighter, and both had gotten in their share of trouble as kids. It was weird to think they'd now be 'enemies' because of the tournament.

"I haven't seen him in ages though," Naruto added quickly as he noticed their gazes trained on him. "So don't worry. I'm not spying and telling him secrets or anything."

Sasuke nodded and accepted the last sheaf of papers from Sai. "Last but not least, Seihou Gakuen…Akatsuki."

"What kind of a name is that?" Naruto asked as he eyed the first picture of a guy with no face…actually his red hair seemed to be covering up most of his face.

"Who gives a fuck what it means," Sasuke grumbled. "All that matters is that…"

"They're assholes and deserve to die slow and painful deaths," Suigetsu growled. "I think we already told you about our meeting with Deidara and Sasori, didn't we?"

Karin gave an unladylike snort. "Geez. They think they're better than everyone else."

Naruto eyed the sheets of paper, feeling something akin to cold dread settle in the pit of his stomach as he read through their stats. The one with 'no face' was Pein. He looked skinny but his stats were pretty impressive. No losses in ten fights. Kisame – an ugly dude who looked as big as Juugo with a pale complexion that almost seemed blue. No losses in twenty plus fights. Deidara – a blond with long hair who looked too pretty to be a guy. However, if his mug shot of him sticking out his tongue to the camera was any indication, Naruto had a feeling this guy would be a handful. No losses in six fights. Sasori looked quiet and unassuming, and had the appearance of a kid still in grade school. No losses in ten fights. The lone female was Konan – a dark blue-haired beauty with a piercing and a big paper-like pink flower stuck in her hair. No losses in five fights.

_Damn._

"As you can see, they're going to be a handful," Sasuke was saying, just as Janice arrived with their food in tow. "They'll pose the biggest problem when we get to the final."

Naruto looked up and over his steaming plate of food, catching Sasuke's eye. _When_, their captain had said, not_ if_. An unspoken mutual feeling of respect seemed to pass between them and Naruto smirked. One had to admire the guy's conviction. He could see why the others were loyal to Sasuke. He seemed to ooze charisma and confidence…but most importantly a determination to be the best at whatever he did. He expected his teammates to be perfect…or at least as close to perfect as possible and if it meant being a jackass sometimes to get his message across, then so be it.

And another thing, Sasuke's tastes in food was great. Naruto realized how much he was missing out as he took another hungry bite of the loaded burger, allowing the delicious juices from the beef, onions, tomatoes and all the other little things that gave it a unique flavor, to melt in his mouth. He darted out a tongue to lick his lips and fingers, looking up at the same time, only to blush to the roots of his hair as he met Sasuke's darkened gaze. Despite being surrounded by their teammates and a noisy diner, it was amazing how all of that seemed to melt away.

_Stop looking at me…stop looking at me like that, goddamn it!_

He was back in Sasuke's room. He was trapped beneath Sasuke's hard body again. He was being pushed back against the couch, his lips crushed against Sasuke's as their jeans became tight…tight….tighter still until…

"…sorry!"

The douse of cold water on his pants had Naruto jerking back to reality. It took an extra second to finally understand just what had happened. Karin was trying to dab the mess with a napkin as she had knocked over her glass of water. However, Naruto, realizing he was sporting an erection, no thanks to goddamn Sasuke, grabbed the napkin before she could discover it wasn't a wallet creating the bulge, and wiped himself with hands that trembled slightly.

"I'm so, so, so, so, sorry," Karin was muttering, secretly wishing she could be the one wiping his lap.

"It's cool. It will dry," Naruto replied with a quick smile. He was damn grateful this had actually happened. Goodness knows how long that staring match would have gone on without the distraction.

_Or just why the hell you're still acting like a virgin whenever he looks at you with those fuck-me eyes. Shit!_

"Oh and before I forget," Sasuke said, as he finished up his meal, acting as if nothing had happened between them. "Wednesday is picture day for clubs and stuff. So…I'm guessing Sakura and co will be at the dojo before practice begins. We'll have to be dressed in our gi. Got it?"

"Aye, aye, captain," Karin chimed in with a mock salute. "Meeting adjourned? I've got dance classes to attend."

The boys gaped at her and she blushed. "What? I like dancing."

Suigetsu laughed. "You? Dance? That's …ouch! That's it, you bitch! This is the last time you throw something at me." Before anyone could stop him, he reached for the ketchup bottle and began to squirt the red liquid on Karin. Her squeals were only interrupted by her helpless giggles as she reached for the mustard bottle to squirt its contents, not just on Suigetsu, but on Sai and Sasuke as well.

Naruto, unaware he was holding his breath; wondering if Sasuke would explode in fury, was quite surprised to find the dark-haired boy actually break into a small smile as he reached for the bottle of maple syrup to squirt its contents directly on…

"Oh shit! Sasuke, you bastard!" Naruto laughed in pleasant shock as the thick liquid fell on his hands and then face and all over his uniform. He dove for the extra bottle of strawberry syrup and began to shoot towards Sasuke and Juugo, cracking up as Sasuke tried to dodge the attacks coming at him from all sides when his teammates suddenly ganged up on him.

"OOOOUUUT!" came the sudden bellow from the diner owner as he began to stomp towards the misbehaving teenagers. "GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!"

"Yes, sir!" Suigetsu cried out, giving a mock salute before tossing the now empty bottle toward the scowling man. Sasuke was quick to place the money for their meal on the table as they ran out of the diner, all laughing in mirth at the chaos they had caused. They didn't stop until they reached the gates of the school, each trying to catch their breath.

"That was fun!" Karin giggled. "You all look like shit."

"Hehe, let's see you go dancing looking like a walking condiment now, Mademoiselle Karin," Suigetsu teased as he walked up to her to trace a line down her cheek. He stuck his coated finger within his mouth and licked it off, only to gasp as he was suddenly tugged by his tie and pulled into a hard kiss.

He was released with a loud smack and a breathless whisper from the girl. "That should give you something to think about, bastard. Bye, guys! See ya tomorrow!" She blew kisses at the stumped/stunned/shocked/stupefied boys before skipping away with a song on her lips.

"Wha…what the hell was that?" Suigetsu asked, still frozen in place as if unable to believe what had just taken place. Naruto laughed and placed an arm around the boy's shoulder.

"That, my good man, was a kiss."

"I know it's a kiss, dumbass," Suigetsu grumbled and pulled away. He looked towards the direction of where Karin had gone, a scowl on his face. "What the fuck did she do that for? Grr. Karin! Get back here!"

He took off after the girl, leaving his teammates staring at him in bemusement.

"Does he even understand the concept of a relationship?" Sasuke finally mumbled as he peeled out of his blazer to eye the mess. His shirt was even worse and let's not even talk about how sticky his hair and skin felt. He'd have to soak in the tub tonight to completely get rid of the stench.

"I'm sure he'll figure it out soon enough," Juugo said quietly. "I have to leave now. I will see you all tomorrow."

"G'night, Juu," Sasuke said absently, tugging off his tie.

"G'night Juu," Sai repeated. He looked as if he couldn't wait to get out of his messy clothes and was sniffing his blazer with mild disgust on his features. "Are we leaving now, Sasuke?"

"We?" Naruto kicked himself for the question, hoping they wouldn't read too much into it. Why the fuck had he asked anyway?

Sai seemed to look smug. "I will be working with Sasuke tonight on his…"

"Not tonight, Sai," Sasuke said as he took off his shirt and ran it through his hair like a towel. He didn't seem to mind that he was revealing his bandaged torso, not that many people were still on the school grounds to notice or pay that much attention to it anyway.

Sai frowned. "But, you promised we'd work on it tonight. I wanted to show you…"

"Sai," Sasuke said softly…quietly…in that husky voice Naruto had been privy to before. He could feel his cheeks heat up as Sasuke walked closer to the other boy, leaning close to place a light kiss on the parted lips before him.

_I knew it…but more importantly…I'm not seriously getting turned on by watching this, am I?_

"Go home, Sai," Sasuke whispered. "I'll call you later, okay?"

Sai seemed to want to move even closer to Sasuke, but their captain wasn't having any of it. He pulled away and slinging his jacket and shirt over his shoulder, began to walk into school without a look back.

"Damn him to hell!" Sai muttered and kicked at a stone angrily. "He can't keep fucking around with me like this!"

"Why don't you tell him you like him then?" Naruto asked, not even wanting to have this conversation and yet he was curious as hell.

Sai spared him the same glance he would have given a cockroach. "Don't you think I have? Unlike you trying to hide your real sexual preferences, I want Sasuke. I need him. I want him so much it hurts, can you possibly understand that? Oh, sorry, of course you wouldn't. I forgot I was speaking to the school retar…urgh!"

He stumbled to the ground, holding his aching jaw. "That's right, Naruto. Resort to your barbaric nature when you hear things you don't like. You think I don't know about you and that animal, Kiba? Don't you think your pretend relationship is only a deep, hidden need for male companionship?"

"You're sick," was all Naruto could say as he began to walk away, not trusting himself to remain next to Sai, for fear he'd hurt the boy even more.

"No, you're the one that's sick," Sai continued with a bitter laugh as he rose to his feet. "It's okay to swing both ways, Naruto. Admit it and you'll feel so much better."

"Shut the fuck up and go home, dipshit," Naruto growled, giving Sai the middle finger.

"You wish you could fuck me," Sai replied with a smirk as he spun on his heels and walked away with an exaggerated swing of his hips. Naruto, as much as he tried to look away, found his gaze straying all the same, and cursing out loud, he squeezed his eyes shut and turned away with an effort. Opening them, he stalked into school, furious at the conversation and at how everyone seemed to want to label him gay all of a sudden.

He knew he shouldn't have started that stupid game with Kiba.

"Damn it!"

"Naruto? Is that you? What the hell happened?"

Naruto spun around at the sound of the familiar voice, sighing inwardly as he realized who it was. Iruka-sensei…his Math teacher.

"Sensei…" He eyed his messy uniform. "We were playing at the diner…got into a food fight," he muttered.

"Why am I not surprised?" Iruka replied with a small smile. "Speaking of getting into trouble…you didn't show up for class today, making it the third time in less than a week. You've missed a make up test and if you hope to at least get a C in this class, you're going to have to make an A in the upcoming test, Naruto. Do you want to stay back and watch your classmates graduate?"

Naruto felt that sinking lurch in his stomach as he looked away from the sad eyes staring at him. He didn't need Iruka's pity, but then again, he was one of the few teachers who seemed to still have hope for him.

"I'll study," Naruto replied. "I'll study really hard."

"Have you tried the student tutoring center?" Iruka asked. "Remember I told you about fellow students who are willing to help…"

"Seriously?" Naruto asked with a scoff. "You think anyone wants to help me? I'm the school moron, remember? They don't care about helping me. The one time I went there…"

"…you stormed out shouting obscenities, Naruto."

"That's because that bitch, Tenten, called me a moron just because I couldn't figure out some dumb equation she wasn't even teaching me properly!"

"Naruto…"

"I'll study on my own, and I'll pass that motherfucking test, and then I'll shut everyone's mouth up. How's that?"

"Well, that's all well and good, but you've got to prove it to me. The test is next Friday. Think you can study hard enough by then?"

Naruto panicked at how soon it was, but he nodded firmly and put on a brave front. "You bet I'll pass it or my name isn't Uzumaki Naruto…what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Iruka shrugged and tried to hide his smile. "Because for a moment there, I saw the real Naruto that's been hiding behind the slacker attitude. I would really like to see him again…maybe on a more permanent basis, hmm?"

He reached out to ruffle the blond's hair, but decided not to as he took in the sight of the congealing ketchup and whatever else was stuck in there. "Have a goodnight, Naruto."

"Yeah, whatever," came the low mumble as Naruto stalked away with sullen bravado… only to slump down against his locker in disbelief at the enormity of the situation. He held his head between his hands and shook it slowly. Who the fuck was he kidding? He couldn't study that hard in a week! Let alone make an A in a subject he loathed with a passion. Christ! Someone just stamp an F already and get it over and done with.

"I can help if you want."

Naruto blinked and then lifted his head slowly to stare at the black pair of shoes, up the long legs enclosed in the familiar khaki pants, shirt and blazer. Sasuke had cleaned up as best he could (Naruto figured he kept an extra pair of uniform in school) and his hair was still damp from probably the shower he must have taken in the gym. He smelled pretty nice and Naruto blinked at the errant way his senses had taken him.

"Help me with what?" he finally asked as he raised a brow in bemusement.

"I overheard your conversation with Iruka-sensei," Sasuke explained as he opened his locker to search for the books he needed. "You need help, and I'm offering my services."

"I'm not paying you."

"You couldn't afford me, idiot."

"I don't need your help."

Sasuke slammed his locker shut and spun around to pin an irritated gaze on the sitting blond. "Get your head out of your ass for one second, Naruto and realize how much trouble you're really in. if you don't pass that test, you'll fail, got it? You'll repeat the grade! We'll all graduate and you'll be left behind! And I can't fucking let that happen!"

Naruto shrugged and lowered his gaze. "Nice speech, but why should you give a shit? You only want to sleep with me, that's the only reason you're trying to act nice. Goddamn you." He rose to his feet, only to fight back a grunt of pain as he was thrust hard against the locker. He found himself staring into the furious dark eyes and felt a well of shame and yet anger at the way he was being treated.

"What do you want? You want to hit me? Go ahead. Tell me what a moron I am. Go on. I can take it."

Something flickered within the dark eyes for a moment before Sasuke loosened his death grip on Naruto's shirt scruff. "Why?" he whispered softly. "Why do you push people away, Naruto?"

_I'm afraid of what you might see…_

"Look who's talking, Mr. Big Shot," Naruto sneered. "You think I don't know it's all a front, Sasuke?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You fuck around with people's feelings and you expect them to act like nothing's wrong. Sai's practically drooling for you, man. He wants you so bad, it's sickening. Why don't you just put him out of his misery and do him for the sake of it, huh?"

Sasuke's lips quirked into a smile. "Pretty ironic, don't you think, Naruto?"

"What?"

"Why don't you put _me_ out of _my_ misery by doing me, hmm? For the sake of it. Maybe that will get you out of my system."

Naruto couldn't stop the blush from flooding his visage as he realized Sasuke was making a valid point. "Yeah…well I'm not giving you any signals like Sai so…"

"No signals?" Sasuke breathed as he leaned closer to whisper into Naruto's ear. "Then why does this happen when I do this?"

Naruto's eyes widened as Sasuke thrust a leg between his, his obvious arousal pressed tightly against Naruto's torso. He gasped and then fought back a whimper at the gentle kiss on his ear, trembling as Sasuke moved ever so slowly…teasing…pressing hard into him until his erection was more evident.

_Shit!_

"No signals, hmm?" Sasuke muttered thickly, his breath now shallow and hot against Naruto's neck as he licked and tasted the combined mixture of sweat, ketchup, mustard and syrup from his flesh. "Mmm…spicy and sweet…just the way I like it."

_Oh….God…!_

"I haven't stopped thinking about you…about us…that night…" Each phrase was punctuated with a hard kiss and lick of his skin, causing Naruto's knees to nearly buckle as he struggled to gain control of the situation. "God, Naruto…just one night with you…we could be…perfect…together…I just know it… but until then…"

He pulled back so suddenly , that Naruto did loose his footing to slide to the floor in a slump, gasping and trying to gather his scattered wits as he looked up and into the flushed but smug visage of his tormentor standing above him.

"I need to whip you into shape."

Naruto blinked at the brief but random image of Sasuke holding a whip, and shook his head to get rid of it. "Wha…?"

"I need you to work with me, Naruto. After practice, you'll come to my house, or we'll go to yours, I don't care, and for one hour I'll help you with whatever problems you might have with your classwork. Deal?"

"How do I know you won't keep doing…" He waved his hand between them, unable to explain just what the hell they were doing anyway. This kissing and dry humping was not exactly what he would categorize as normal.

"Not to worry," Sasuke reassured him with a shrug. "I do know how to control myself when the occasion calls for it, as bad as my case of blue balls is going to be tonight. So, ready for my brand of teaching? I won't go easy on you, and I'm not the most patient of people."

"Whatever."

"Is that a yes?"

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes! Yes, goddamn it! Teach me! Geez!"

"A 'thank you, Sasuke' would have sufficed, you ungrateful fucktard," Sasuke scoffed. "Tomorrow, we go home together, got it?"

Naruto opened his eyes. "You're really serous about this, aren't you?"

"I don't fuck around when I set my mind to something, Naruto."

"No kidding."

"Tomorrow then?"

"Tomorrow…_sensei_."

"Huh." With a small smile, the captain walked away, leaving a _very_ bemused boy behind. If he had stayed a bit longer, perhaps he would have seen the grateful look that eventually filled Naruto's countenance. For besides Shika, Chouji and Kiba, no other student had really gone out of their way to help Naruto for anything, and knowing that _the_ Uchiha Sasuke (for all his perverseness) was willing to go this far for him…

…_my heart…shit…why…why does it hurt in this funny way…?_


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes:**My sincere thanks again for all your reviews/comments! Much, much appreciated!

* * *

**Chapter Ten:**

Shikamaru couldn't wrap his mind around the text message he had received and really had to see this for himself to be sure it wasn't just a figment of his imagination. He stepped into the raucous Class 3-4 that morning, and was sure enough shocked to see the familiar blond locks that could only belong to one person. Even more surprising was that Kiba and Chouji were in class as well…even though it seemed they too were flummoxed at the idea of actually sitting through a class they hated.

"I thought you were shitting me," Shikamaru said as he sat in his usual spot next to Naruto's desk. "I went to the roof just in case you were."

Naruto shrugged and coughed self-consciously, unable to control the dull flush of heat that filled his cheeks. "I just thought I'd sit in today and see what the fuss was about."

Chouji, who was currently digging through a jumbo-sized pack of potato chips, stuffed a handful into his mouth and spoke at the same time. "I think he must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed today."

"You're spraying, man," Kiba grumbled as he brushed away the flakes of chips that had found their way into his hair and on his shirt. "Stop talking with your mouth full!"

"Whatcha gonna do about it?" Chouji dared, spraying even more of the snack in Kiba's face.

Shikamaru tuned out their argument and turned to his friend, still surprised but actually feeling a little pleased at the new development. Maybe his words, from the other day, had actually registered with Naruto after all. He, too, was trying to change his ways. Perhaps it was his decision to keep playing for the baseball team, finally having a taste of victory or experiencing the joy of his teammates as he was hoisted over their shoulders after his game winning homerun. Whatever it was, Shikamaru had made the decision to take things a little more seriously, and he had hoped to convince Naruto, Kiba and Chouji about it. He had heard of Kiba's sign-up with the soccer team, which was a good way for the boy to let off some of his inner aggressions. He'd just have to convince Chouji to join some kind of extra curricular activity that would suit him. As for Naruto's change…

"Hmm…can't put my finger on it…"

"Can't put your finger on what?" Naruto asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the close scrutiny.

"You look…different somehow."

Naruto touched his hair. "I grew it out a little…"

"That's not it," Shikamaru said with a light chuckle. "You look…less angry." He shrugged and pulled out his textbook. "You don't have that sullen look you usually have – the one that makes you unapproachable."

"…oh…"

Naruto tapped his pen restlessly on his desk and cleared his throat just as Iruka walked into the classroom.

"All right, class," the older man began as he opened his notebook to take attendance. "Let's take roll call, if you'll all be quiet for one minute…now then…"

He looked up and glanced towards Naruto's seat. It was a habit he couldn't help doing, despite the number of times the seat had always been empty…along with the other three that surrounded it. However, he found himself blinking and resisting the urge to rub his eyes as he spotted not only Chouji (who was still eating by the way), but Kiba (who was staring at his Math textbook as if it was a foreign object he had never seen before), Shikamaru (who was scribbling something in his notebook), and Naruto…_the Uzumaki Naruto_…actually _sitting_ in class for a lesson. Their gazes met and Naruto was the first to look away – his cheeks darkening with color as he tried to scowl and look disinterested. Iruka hid his smile of pleasure as well as the sudden lump that had risen in his throat to take a deep breath.

"All right, class, looks like we're going to have a great lesson today!"

It was only a small step, he thought as he began to teach with inspired vigor. And yet a giant leap for the delinquent student.

* * *

Lunchtime found the boys in their usual spot beneath the large oak tree next to the cafeteria. It was a beautiful afternoon anyway and would have been such a waste to spend it indoors with the other students.

"It wasn't so bad actually," Kiba was saying as he dug into his bento lunch with gusto. "Iruka-sensei is actually kind of cool."

"Yeah!" Chouji agreed, grinning for he was mighty pleased with himself. He had actually answered a question posed to him in class, much to his friends' surprise and delight. There was actually more in that boy's brain than a buffet of full course meals. "Iruka sensei promised he'd take me to lunch at Ichiraku's if I get at least a 60 in the next test. How about that?"

"A 60? Even I could get a 60!" Kiba huffed. "Anyway, you guys wanna set up a study group or something? We could like…study together and try to pass this freaking test. What do you think, Naruto?"

They all looked to the blond who had been relatively quiet so far. Naruto, who was doing a fine job of picking through the colorful sliced pumpkin Ms. Fuyutsuki had packed in his bento, tried to act nonchantly as he replied in as flippant a voice as he could manage. "I…uh…I already have a tutor. I mean…someone to help me…with stuff…."

"Not Ms. Fuyutsuki," Shikamaru cut in, while sipping from his box of orange juice. "We four could go to the library and study. I know we're not exactly Einstein, but if we put our minds together, we can figure out the basics."

It was tempting…oh so tempting to agree to this plan, but he had a feeling that their study session would not last long as their relatively short attention spans would have them trying to do something else to kill time. He really had to buckle down with his studies and the first step was to show that he was determined to make a change. For reasons he was yet to really decipher, he just couldn't think of disappointing Sasuke who was offering his time to help him with this process.

"It's not Ms. Fuyutsuki," Naruto finally mumbled. "It's…Sasuke…"

"Who?" Chouji asked as he leaned closer. "Speak up, bro. We can't hear you."

Naruto looked up and unable to stare into any of their (seemingly accusing) eyes, he said a bit more firmly. "I'm having tutoring lessons with Sasuke." There. He had said it, his heart now pounding as he wondered what they'd say…especially Kiba.

"Sasuke…Uchiha?" Shikamaru asked with a raised brow. "…wow…since….eh….when?"

"It's not like I asked him to," Naruto argued in his defense. "Iruka sensei said if I didn't make an A in the test, I would fail the class and most likely not graduate…and Sasuke overheard and he volunteered to help me, that's all. Honest."

Nothing was said as the other boys continued to eat quietly. Naruto, now feeling that his friends weren't being fair to him, frowned. "What? You think I'm ditching you for him or what?"

"No one's saying…" Shikamaru began.

"You don't have to say anything. I can see it in your eyes. You guys think I'm…"

"I don't know, Naruto," Kiba cut in, eyes still trained on his lunch. "You join his club, you go to his house, he offers you rare manga and video games and now…he's offering to be your tutor. I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but even I know that the guy's being hella nice to you for a reason."

"Kiba…"

Kiba looked up then, a dark look in his eyes as if trying to control his frustration and anger. "What he said the other day…about you not knowing what you wanted yet…or whatever the fuck you guys did in his house…be honest, Naruto. Do you _like_ Sasuke?"

Shikamaru and Chouji, who were both watching this new twist in the drama with acute interest, waited (im)patiently for the blond's reply.

Naruto scowled and gripped his chopsticks a bit tighter as he met Kiba's eyes. "What the fuck do you mean, do I_ like_ Sasuke?"

"You know exactly what I mean," Kiba growled. "You kissed the guy for fuck's sake!"

Chouji's sandwich fell on his lap with a 'Holy Shit!' escaping his lips as his jaw dropped. Shikamaru pounded his chest as his drink went the wrong way. Naruto was red-faced. He really couldn't believe they were going through this again. What happened to their truce?

"Oh yeah, Kiba? And what about you, dipshit? Molesting me on the goddamn rooftop doesn't make you a saint either!"

"Well at least I know what the hell I want, and I'm not hiding it from you!"

"I thought we had agreed not to talk about it," Naruto hissed. "What the hell is this all about?"

"Oh come on!" Kiba threw up his hands as if in resignation. "Sasuke wants you just as bad as I do! …I did…" He finished with a heavy sigh. "Argh! I can't fucking take this anymore." He rose to his feet and packed up his unfinished lunch and without saying goodbye, stalked into the building.

"Goddamn Kiba!" Naruto snarled as he too rose to his feet, but instead turned the other way to stomp towards the tennis courts area. He was trembling so hard with his fury, disappointment and confusion at how and why everything had gone so wrong. He had, honestly, thought Kiba would be over this by now, but how naïve was he to assume that the other boy could get over his feelings that quickly? He thought of Sai and how desperate the boy had seemed yesterday. Was that how love made you act? Did it warp your mind and make you want to do anything and everything for that person no matter what it took?

"Urgh!" He kicked at a tree in frustration, ignoring the pain that ran up his toes and up to his wired brain. Naruto had never truly been in love…at least anything deeper than superficial feelings of lust and attraction to beautiful things. He had once been convinced that he was in love with Anko Ai, the model/porn star, but he doubted love meant a five minute work out with his hand, lotion and a box of tissues. Then there was his infatuation with Amaru, which had quickly dissolved after their night together. Wasn't love supposed to be a deeper emotion? Like the way his mother and father must have been? In the few pictures he had of them, they had looked so happy together….so in tune with each other as they either mugged for the camera or stared into each other's eyes. Was that true love at its finest? If so…who was he to find such a person or to experience such an emotion anytime soon? He knew it was hard to deal with relationships – look at his uncle for instance, for all his talks and lectures and books, he was yet to settle down himself. His tastes in women weren't all that great and Naruto had to wonder if his uncle was even searching for that perfect person…his soul mate…his one true love.

"Stupid…stupid…love crap!" he muttered, becoming more aware of his surroundings as the happy cheers of the girls cheerleading squad, practicing behind him, filled his senses. He watched them for a while, admiring the way they leaped and spun in the air like weightless butterflies. Their laughter and enthusiastic cheers lifted his spirits a little…

"So this is where you were hiding," Shikamaru said, causing Naruto to turn in surprise at the interruption. His friend lit up a cigarette before offering one to Naruto. He leaned against the wall beside the blond, and together they watched the girls in silence for a while, neither saying anything despite the many questions that hung like a heavy curtain between them.

"We're missing Geography," Shikamaru finally muttered as the girls began to make their way into the building.

"Fuck Geography," came the flat reply.

"Hm."

They fell into companionable silence again, until Naruto crushed out the stick to sigh deeply. "Why don't you just go ahead and ask whatever the hell you want, Shika."

The other boy shrugged. "You'll tell me when you're good and ready, Naruto. Who am I to judge?"

"Stop acting like you're so damn cool."

"But I am cool," Shikamaru replied with a light smirk. "Temari says so anyway."

Temari. The girl from Seiwa Gakuen. "She's not from Kusanagi you know."

"I know."

Naruto blinked. "What? But she was dressed in…"

"She's Amaru's friend. She came to visit and decided to wear Amaru's uniform to trick people into thinking she was a student. It was a joke between the two of them or whatever. How did you know she wasn't a student of the school anyway?"

"She's going to be in the Martial Arts tournament representing Seiwa Gakuen. She must be tough."

Shikamaru nodded and listened as Naruto rattled off the names of their three main opponents and what they were up against.

"…Sasuke thinks…no…he _knows_ we'll have a chance with most of the teams until we get to Akatsuki. He wants us to train extra hard and I guess I'll have to…but yesterday, you wouldn't believe what happened, Shika. We went to the diner…Sasuke invited me actually…and then I ordered the same thing he ordered which ended up tasting really good and I swear I'm going to keep ordering that freaking burger from now on…oh and Karin started messing around with the mustard and ketchup and Suigetsu joined in…or was it the other way around? But either way, before long we were all spraying each other with the condiments and making a mess of things and we all ganged up on Sasuke and I thought he'd really be pissed off, but he was laughing and having fun with us. I swear it's the first time I've seen him laugh like that and it was kinda cool to see him relaxed and all….and then we came back to school and then…"

"Listen to yourself, Naruto," came the quiet interruption laced with amusement.

Naruto, who had been speaking a mile-a-minute, his voice slightly breathless as he recounted the events, stopped long enough to ask in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"If I had a yen for every time you mentioned Sasuke's name in all you've said, I'd be pretty rich right about now."

The blond could feel the heat creeping up his neck. "I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered and looked away. "I was telling…"

"You like him, don't you?"

"I don't…!"

"Naruto," came the voice that had an edge to it. "This is me. Don't lie to me or play games with me. Be honest with yourself…you like him…even if it's just a little, right?"

_Like him?_ Naruto sagged against the wall and closed his eyes. He admired Sasuke sure enough. He liked his fighting style and that strong sense of conviction and determination. He liked the fact that the boy enjoyed the same video games and had great taste in manga and food. He realized, with faint alarm, that there were a few little other things he had noticed about Sasuke that he _liked_ too. The way the sweat rolled off his skin after a fight…the way his brows furrowed in concentration when reading through something as simple as a note…the way Sasuke's eyes could flash with either anger or …

…_passion…_

…when provoked…or the way his lips would quirk in that smug smile…or the way his face seemed to light up when he laughed (the rare occasion that happened). And what about the way his warm breath felt against his skin, or how husky that voice became whenever they were too close together.

"Naruto?"

"I…I guess…he's all right…" he finally whispered as if ashamed to admit such a thing. "I don't hate him…anymore… if that's what you want to hear."

"Why did you even hate him in the first place?" Shikamaru asked in genuine bemusement.

_Why indeed?_ "You didn't like him either," Naruto argued with a childish pout as he opened his eyes. "We agreed he was a first class dickwad, remember?"

Shikamaru chuckled. "Yeah, I guess, but then again…we didn't really know the guy had a heart of gold beneath it all, did we?"

"Geez, he's not a freaking saint."

"No, he isn't, Naruto and that's one of the reasons you like him." Shikamaru pushed himself away from the wall and paced away, only to stop to look at his friend with eyes that were dark and serious. "Whatever your feelings for him, I'm still glad he's trying to help you. I want us all to graduate together, Naruto and if he's one of the ways to succeed, then I say go for it… in every aspect."

Naruto blushed at the knowing wink and shook his head. "Don't even think I'm going to…"

"But seriously though…what's wrong with being with a guy if you really like him?"

"But I don't like him like that!" _Liar,_ screamed a voice so loud, in his head, that Naruto was sure Shikamaru had heard it. "I mean I…"

"He kissed you, right?"

"Look…"

"Yes or no?"

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but seeing that Shikamaru wasn't joking, muttered a low 'yes.'

"And you liked it?"

"Now listen…"

"Did you like it, Naruto?"

"I didn't hate it, all right? Jesus fucking Christ! What is this? Interrogation Central?"

"You kissed Kiba too, right?"

"_He_ kissed _me_! More than…kissed me," he finished with growing embarrassment, but Shikamaru didn't seem interested in how he felt. He was, apparently, not yet done with his questioning.

"Between Kiba and Sasuke…who was better?"

Naruto groaned. "Okay, you know what? Let's just end it now, Shika. I'm flattered you want to know about my fucked up sex life, but really…"

"Kiba or Sasuke?"

"I don't have to answer this."

"Kiba. Sasuke."

A low curse. "I've known Kiba like forever, man! I can't…I can't….just no!" Naruto shivered and shook his head. "I mean, don't get me wrong, my body likes being touched like that and I couldn't resist it, but still…it wasn't…it just didn't feel right with Kiba," he finished quietly.

"Sasuke it is then."

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Why…why _not_?" Naruto gasped in disbelief. "Because he only wants my ass, that's what? All he cares about is fucking me, Shika! He doesn't give a shit about me otherwise!"

"Really?" The boy smiled, causing the blond to look even more flabbergasted.

"Of course!"

"Naruto, Naruto, Naruto." Shikamaru chuckled. "Wow, you really don't know the signs, do you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Idiot. If Sasuke only wanted your ass, why would he go the extra mile for you? He didn't have to talk Kakashi into letting you into the club. I'm sure they were damn fine without you joining them. He didn't have to let you into his house that night. He didn't have to lend you his video games or his prized manga. Goodness knows I wouldn't lend them to you, knowing how you manhandle books…"

"Hey now…"

"He especially didn't have to offer his time to become your tutor, you jerk. For a guy who only wants to fuck you, he's going out of his way to be extra helpful with other things _not_ related to having sex with you, don't you think?"

"It's all a ploy, Shika. He's only doing this to butter me up."

"Seems to be working."

"Huh?"

"Like I said earlier…you look different now, Naruto. Less angry with the world and a little bit more at peace with yourself…well for the most part. You have more friends now, don't you? And knowing that Uchiha Sasuke – the one guy most of the school would gladly die to be friends with – actually seems to be showing that much of an interest to you, makes you feel good, doesn't it, Naruto?"

He wanted to lie – to tell Shikamaru that he wasn't making any sense – that it was all a façade put up by Sasuke…and yet…

That ache in his heart…the one he had felt the other day seemed to be worsening each time he really thought hard about his team captain.

That wasn't a good thing….was it?

"At least I can see you're thinking about it now," Shikamaru said as he stretched and twisted to the left and right to ease his tense muscles. "Kiba will get over it eventually…might take some time…but at least he's the kind of guy to rebound quickly from a rejection." He held up his hand to silence Naruto's protest. "You on the other hand, have to decide what you want to do, Naruto. No one's asking you to write out a public declaration of your feelings for another guy, but what the hell, if your heart tells you to go for Sasuke, then for the love of all things right and just in the world, stop fighting it and take the plunge. If after a while, you see things can't work out between you two, then you can always end it and go back to hunting after babes. No one's gonna sue you for it. Live a little, my friend."

He tapped the blond's shoulder gently. "Give Sasuke what he wants and who knows…you just might like it. _Sayonara._"

With a two fingered salute, the dark-haired boy sauntered away, whistling softly beneath his breath as he wondered if this talk would be the final push Naruto needed to step over that line he had been so scared of crossing all this time.

* * *

Practice was brutal – more intense - as the fighters knew that the clock was ticking with every punch and blow. However, it was the underlying tension between the teenagers that had Kakashi a little worried. Karin and Suigetsu had, much to everyone's surprise actually, not argued even once today. Unless he needed a pair of glasses, Kakashi was sure those two had been looking at each other with shy(?) glances, as if discovering each other for the first time. Sai, who was usually quiet, was even more so today. Naruto was distracted – not unusual – but even more so, especially whenever Sasuke tried to help him out with a particular move. He didn't think the dojo was that hot, but for some reason, the blond seemed to be in a perpetual flush, which had the teacher wondering if Naruto was coming down with flu. That was the last thing they needed.

"Good work, everyone. Go home and rest up those muscles, okay? Naruto…I see you're working on what I told you the other day."

The blond looked sheepish and grinned. "It was hard having to sit still for so long, but I think I got the hang of it."

Kakashi chuckled. "Keep at it – controlling that ki of yours is going to help you in the tournament. All right everyone, have a goodnight!"

As they left the dojo, Sai excused himself to attend his art club meeting, while Juugo left for a rendezvous with his Chemistry teacher – something about him not doing so well in his last test. As the rest of the fighters approached the gates, Suigetsu cleared his throat and announced a bit louder than necessary. "So…eh…I'm walking Karin home so…yeah."

Karin, who was blushing up a storm, nodded and waved shyly to the others. "We'll see you guys tomorrow. Bye."

"Bye!" Naruto waved enthusiastically, trying to hold in his laughter until they were gone from sight. "Hehe, methinks Suigetsu got some last night. Lucky bastard."

"No wonder he kept asking me how the fuck to take off a girl's bra in class today," Sasuke said with a chuckle.

"No shit. Can _you_ take off a girl's bra?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not a virgin, Naruto," came the simple reply that had the blond's stomach tickling with a million butterflies. Talk about too much information. "Ready?"

"What? Oh…yeah…uum…ready."

"Where's your bike?"

"Where's _your _bike?" Naruto looked incredulous. Sasuke didn't really think he was…

"I didn't come to school with it today because we're going to your house to study, remember?" Sasuke retorted with slight impatience. "What is it? You don't want me riding with you?"

"I don't give a fuck if you ride with me," Naruto hissed. _I'm just going to have a pretty damn hard time trying to concentrate on the motherfucking road._

True enough, it was hard to focus, much to Naruto's dismay as he felt Sasuke's arms around his waist while speeding down the highway. Glad for the helmet that covered his heated features, Naruto wondered why Sasuke wasn't holding on to the seat as any normal person would. Why was he going out of his way to act so…

_Shit! He's pressing even closer to me…I can feel his…his…!_

"Whoa! Easy now, Naruto," came Sasuke's muffled voice from behind him. "You want to get us killed? Slow down a little."

_I can't! I want this ride to be over, you bastard! I'm fucking dying here!_

Never had his uncle's home looked so wonderful, and as the gates parted to let them in, Sasuke gave a whistle of admiration at the stupendous architecture.

"So this is the home of the famous Jiraiya," he said, taking off his helmet as Naruto finally came to a screeching halt in the garage. "Impressive."

Naruto shook his head as his helmet came off. "Yeah, well wait till you see the inside." He winked and then got off the machine, now glad that Sasuke wasn't so close and he could think again.

He opened the door which led directly into the kitchen and both boys were assailed with the delicious smells of roasting chicken, pastries being baked, and coffee being brewed. Ms. Fuyutsuki, who was just walking in, gasped in surprise at the two boys drooling over the plate of chocolate chip cookies she had baked.

"Mmm, these smell good, auntie!" Naruto gushed and trained his best puppy dog eyes on her. "Please…just one for me and my friend." He hardly noticed the quick but shocked reaction that word had garnered from Sasuke.

Friend. Had Naruto actually introduced him as a…_friend?_

"Oh don't look at me like that now," the woman said with a mock stern look on her kind features. "You won't get me to fall for that. No snacks before dinner, young man. And what's your name, you handsome devil you."

Sasuke blushed and bowed politely. "Uchiha Sasuke."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sasuke. And just because you're so much nicer than Naruto, you get a cookie."

"No fair!" Naruto wailed as he watched Sasuke reach for the delicious treat. He mock wailed and fell to the floor in a dramatic gesture of agony and torture, rolling around and pounding his fists while promising never to eat ever, ever, ever, ever, ever again if Ms. Fuyutsuki didn't give him a cookie. Sasuke couldn't help laughing as he watched the scene, feeling his heart stir at the jovial camaraderie between the two.

_/My parents are dead…/_

Sasuke's smiled wavered as he remembered Naruto's words. The boy had stated it so matter-of-factly…as if he was no longer bothered by such a loss, but he had to wonder just how easy it was to get over such a thing. He couldn't even begin to imagine how he'd feel if he lost his parents. Sasuke was sure he'd go mad. And yet, here was Naruto … a boy who could still laugh despite all that life had thrown at him. Sasuke discovered that he too wanted to be a part of this…to be among the few that made Naruto…_happy._ However, he knew it was going to be difficult trying to convince Naruto about his intentions. His initial blatant sexual approach was a hindrance he was working hard to get over. He didn't just want Naruto for his body…he wanted so much more.

"Your uncle is back," Ms. Fuyutsuki said after she finally gave in and allowed Naruto to grab the cookie from the tray. "He returned an hour ago and should be in his study."

"No kidding," Naruto mumbled around the cookie he had stuck in his mouth. "Come on, Sasuke, let's go say hi."

He led the other boy up a small flight of stairs which led to the living room that was decorated in rich beige and cream. There was an European flavor to the décor, and Naruto explained that his uncle was fascinated with everything English especially of the Victorian era. Despite that, it was clear that Jiraiya also had a love for the Japanese theater, in particular anything related to the Kabuki genre. Expensive-looking scrolls lined the hallway, each featuring detailed images of famous/historical kabuki performers dressed in elaborate and intricately designed costumes.

Naruto motioned for Sasuke to keep quiet as he pushed open a heavy door, giving the dark-haired boy a sneak peek into a room specifically reserved for even more historical artifacts.

"Many came from the Edo period," Naruto explained as he closed the door gently after the brief view. "He hardly lets anyone in here, although some museum folks stop by to check it out every once in a while."

"He really loves his theater, doesn't he?" Sasuke asked.

"You bet he does. You should listen to him perform for Ms. Fuyutsuki and I," Naruto agreed with a chuckle. "God, it's awful the way he says those lines, but all the same…maybe it's what he really wanted to do instead of writing sex books."

Sasuke laughed softly, noticing something else. "What's with all the frog things? Is he a herpetologist?"

"Herpe…what? Nope. It's his family's symbol. Pretty cool, huh?"

"It really is…" Sasuke replied, still in awe as they walked beneath what seemed like the largest statue of a toad ever seen, hovering from the ceiling above them. It looked so real, Sasuke gave a reluctant shiver as if the immobile creature was silently judging him.

"Uncle!" Naruto cried out as he pushed open another heavy door which led into a den fit for a man of Jiraiya's stature. Done in deep browns and black, the room was stocked piled with books and scrolls that flowed to the floor, forcing Sasuke to step over them carefully so as not to trip on anything. Naruto was already used to the mess and had already learned how to walk through the chaos that was his uncle's office. Jiraiya, on his haunches and dressed in a red velvet smoking jacket with a cigar stuck in his mouth, had been fiddling with the large plasma T.V screen in the entertainment center with bemusement on his features (one could only assume he had broken something by mistake). He looked up and beamed at his wayward nephew.

"Hallo, you little rascal! What trouble have you gotten yourself into today?"

"Nothing, you perverted old man," came the greeting that had Sasuke blinking in surprise. He fully expected Jiraiya to yell at Naruto, but all the older man gave was a weary groan.

"I've told you to stop calling me that…oh? Who's that? Your new friend?" Jiraiya rose to his feet and shoved Naruto aside to walk up to Sasuke. Cripes. The man looked much larger up close.

"I'm…Uchiha Sasuke…"

"Sasuke!" Jiraiya greeted with voice that seemed to boom with pleasure. "Welcome! It's nice to see a new face besides those other three troublemakers. Do you drink vodka?"

"Vod…?"

"It's a school day!" Naruto huffed. "You can't offer him alcohol already!"

"What's wrong with inviting the visitor to have a drink? And besides, since when has it being a school day stopped you from sneaking into my stash and having a sip now and then? Don't think I don't know you do that, Naruto."

Blushing in embarrassment, Naruto reached for Sasuke's hand and began to tug him out of the room. "Let's go. If you keep standing here, you'll become infected with his crazy cells."

"And where are you two going?" Jiraiya asked with interest. "Don't you want to know about my trip?"

"Later, old man. I've got to study!"

Jiraiya winked. "You two behave yourselves up there. We all know how 'studying' tends to go…although I'll have to say I'm a bit surprised that you're swinging for the other team now, Naru…"

"SHUT UP!" came the cry of disbelief before Naruto shut the door in his face, ignoring Sasuke's barely controlled laughter. "And you shut up too! Goddamn it!"

He began to stomp up the flight of stairs, and then stopped as he noticed Sasuke wasn't following. "What? Come on up."

"Your bedroom?" He had imagined Naruto would want to keep him as far away from anything remotely intimate as possible. He had been eyeing the dining or living room as a possible study location all this time.

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Well…yeah…where else are we going to do it?"

Sasuke's cheeks flooded with color and it took a second later for Naruto to realize what he had said and how it would be interpreted. "Jesus! You promised you'd keep your hands to yourself, Sasuke."

"Indeed I did and I promise no hanky-panky." He held up his hands and gave a small smile, trying hard to control his pounding heart. "Lead the way, Naruto."

"I don't fucking believe it," came the low mutter from the blond, which had the dark-haired boy chuckling to himself. "I'm surrounded by perverts."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes**: Again, my sincere thanks for your feedback/comments/reviews. It really does spur me to write more and to those who asked, yes, I do tend to write fast, especially when I'm _very_ inspired. So thank you and enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Eleven:**

"Tadaa," Naruto announced with a flourish, even though his cheeks were flushed with heat. It wasn't his first time inviting anyone to his bedroom – after all Shika and the others had spent many days and nights here. It was knowing that Sasuke was now walking around and eyeing his things, with what looked like interest… _that_ made him feel funny inside. Probably the same way he would have felt if he brought some hot babe to his room for the first time. Never was he more grateful that his room wasn't in its usual state of chaos. He blessed Ms. Fuyutsuki with a quick prayer of gratitude.

"Not as big as your place," Naruto said aloud as he shut the door behind them…and promptly wished he could re-open it. Heart pounding harder, Naruto was beginning to doubt his earlier decision. Maybe it _was_ a bad idea inviting Sasuke up here. The intimacy level was…

_Argh! Focus! Focus! This is for studying only! No games! No fun…just…_

"For such a big house, your room is pretty cozy," Sasuke observed as he walked up to the landscape windows and pulled aside the heavy, blue curtains which showed a gorgeous view of rolling lawns and gardens behind the house. Naruto's room was definitely smaller than his, but the blond had given it his unique touch, and everything just about screamed 'Uzumaki Naruto'.

For all his sullen nature, it seemed like Naruto liked bright and colorful things. His bed, which Sasuke had done his best not to stare at for too long - as the sinful image of Naruto sleeping in the buff had filled his mind immediately - was King size, and neatly made with cotton sheets in hues of white and navy lines/polka dots. Two large beanbags in neon yellow and orange took up another portion of the room. There was no couch, but who needed that when you had those two bright monstrosities in here. The flat screen plasma T.V. was hooked up to a video console that any gamer geek would have loved to toy with, while an entertainment center with his CD and DVD player completed the hi-tech area. There was a desk with a computer whose design looked like something out of a sci-fi novel. Naruto must have customized it himself. Besides the computer, the desk was as clean as it could possibly be…if you counted all the gamer magazines and cheat sheets scattered all over the place. Naruto had even put a sign for Ms. Fuyutsuki (DO NOT TOUCH!) and she apparently kept to that rule. His bookshelf housed the necessary books, and Sasuke was surprised to find most of them were made up of contemporary and classic literature…although a part of him wondered when last Naruto opened any of them.

Some anime figurines had been added for decoration as well as the famous doraemon mask which loomed at the top of the shelf like an evil demon watching over the room. There were also frog references here and there. Two intricately designed and rather large frogs (about knee high) sat like sentry at each side of Naruto's bed. However, Sasuke's sharp eye noticed an oddity of sorts. He reached out for a large stuffed keroppi doll, which had been sitting on the floor beside Naruto's bed. He couldn't help the small smile that came to his lips at how childish and yet cute the whole thing was. On closer inspection, Sasuke could see that it looked old and worn…obviously well- loved.

"My parents gave that to me on my fifth birthday," Naruto explained as he took off his blazer. "It's old but…I like it." He shrugged and gave a small smile before walking into his closet as if to excuse himself for revealing something so personal.

Sasuke held the doll tighter against his chest at the realization that this must be one of the few things Naruto had to remember his parents by. His gaze, eventually, fell on the picture on the nightstand next to Naruto's bed. He lifted the silver-framed portrait of the handsome grinning blond man and his beautiful red-haired wife. Between them sat a chubby Naruto (who must have been about three or even younger) at the time. Their faces looked so happy and full of life…filled with promises of what the future would hold for their little family.

Sasuke swallowed the hard lump that filled his throat. It just didn't seem fair for their lives to be cut short so soon.

_Naruto…I'm so sorry…_

"What are you doing standing there for?" came the rude interruption. "Let's get this thing started before I lose my interest."

"Shut the fuck up," Sasuke mumbled as he placed the picture back as well as the doll. "You should be begging me, asshole."

"I am begging you," Naruto huffed. "Begging you to hurry up and get this over and done with."

"You don't have to make it seem like you're about to get a root canal," Sasuke retorted as he plopped on a beanbag and promptly cursed in surprise at how deep he sank into it. "Maybe I should just sit on the floor."

"Maybe you should." Naruto was trying hard not to laugh as he watched Sasuke struggle to escape from the clutches of the beanbag. Finally, and with another muttered curse, he extricated himself and sat beside the grinning blond, trying to glare in frustration as the boy raised his hand and waved it with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"All ready for your teaching, sensei!"

"Oh God…"

Sasuke shook his head and dug into his backpack for his textbooks. "All right, Naruto. Let's see what we've got to work with here…"

A half-hour later, Sasuke gawked at the scores before him in growing dismay. He looked up and into Naruto's indignant expression, wondering how to put this without sounding too…

"You suck, Naruto."

"The hell?"

"You got only one question right, for God's sake! Were you even trying?"

"Of course I was trying! You saw the effort I put into it!"

Yes, there was effort all right, as Naruto had been gnawing both fingers and pen while trying to work out the ten questions from the homework Iruka sensei had given them.

"Naruto…" Sasuke opened and then closed his mouth again, before saying, "All right. Why don't we try it again, okay? How about…" He pulled out ten basic questions from the beginning of the text book. "Let's see you work these out."

He listened to the grumble and hid a small smile, trying to focus on his History assignments even though his entire being was attuned to the boy sitting beside him. Naruto's features were scrunched up in concentration, his lower lip caught between his teeth as those amazing blue eyes darted back and forth across the paper. Sasuke noted the blond's way of writing…how he seemed to lean into the notebook, his strokes strong and yet careless. He shook his head and turned to his work again. This was no time to be admiring every little bitty thing about Naruto. He had work to do himself.

Twenty minutes later.

"Hmm…"

"Hmmm…what?" Naruto huffed, ready to explode if Sasuke tried to say he was stupid.

"At least you got five right this time, so there's hope."

"What do you mean I got five?" Naruto snatched the paper from Sasuke and eyed the other boy's red marks. "What? You're sure that's not the right answer?" He pointed towards a question. "I could have sworn it was the right one. Check it again."

Sasuke worked out the problem step-by-step, trying hard not to blush as Naruto had moved closer to peer into the paper he was writing on. Damn his awareness of every single thing! Naruto's warm breath tickled his cheek and ear, and his torture was made worse as Naruto suddenly reached out for Sasuke's hand…well not really, just to take away the pencil to work on the rest of the problem himself.

"I get it now," Naruto mumbled. "Shit…and I really thought it was…"

"See? You're not so dumb after all," Sasuke said quietly, his stomach muscles clenching with nerves and growing need. He had promised not to do anything – no hanky-panky and to keep his damn hands to himself, but …man! Why the fuck did Naruto have to look so damn good?

"Of course I'm not dumb!" Naruto argued and then sat back with a heavy sigh. "Studying gives me a headache."

"Maybe you should just go about it the right way, that's all. Studying can be… fun."

Naruto's face seemed to flit with conflicting emotions, before he finally muttered softly. "Fun…huh?"

Sasuke leaned back as well, and they fell into companionable silence for a while, before Naruto spoke quietly. "I stopped having any real fun the day they died…"

Sasuke remained silent, aware that Naruto was revealing a part of himself again to him. He wanted to hold on to this moment of vulnerability, to peel apart the thick layers of toughness Naruto had covered himself with over the years.

"They dropped me off at the nanny's that evening…they wanted to go out for a date night. It was raining pretty hard on their way back…the police said they must have been trying to swerve out of the way of an incoming truck, but my dad couldn't move fast enough and crashed over the embankment and fell…and…" He took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. His gaze looked distant yet vacant as he continued. "Their bodies were barely recognizable. Burned pretty badly…but they did manage to salvage one thing." With surprisingly steady fingers, he undid the top two buttons of his shirt to reveal what lay beyond the narrow black cord that was usually seen around his neck. It was a crystal prism – about a finger length - flanked by two smaller spheres. It seemed to glow against his pale skin, but on closer inspection, one could see the tiny smudges of soot that would never go away. A macabre reminder of what had transpired and where it had been found.

"It was my mom's," Naruto explained as he caressed the jewelry. "Dad gave it to her the day I was born. She used to wear it all the time…said it brought her good luck. Fat load of good that did." He redid the buttons and shrugged lightly. "I remember the police standing at the door that night…how the nanny had held on to me, crying and saying she was so sorry. I didn't get it. I wanted my mom and dad back and they were taking too damn long to get home. I think I kept asking her when they were coming back over and over again. I'd stand by the door or the window…looking out and wondering how long their so-called date night was supposed to take. Even though I was moved from place to place…even though I must have attended the funeral…it just didn't sink in, you know? Whose funeral was I attending? Why were my mom and dad's picture up there in that sea of flowers? Why were all those people wearing black and crying? What the fuck were they crying for? My parents were going to come back. They just had to! We still had so many things to do together, goddamn it! They had no right to leave me alone like that! None! It just wasn't…!"

Whatever else he would have said was muffled against Sasuke's chest as his breath hitched in pain. Without thinking much about it, Naruto clung tightly to the boy's shirt, eyes burning as the tears fell hard and fast. His raw cries were buried against the white cloth, soaking through as the warmth of Sasuke's body made him even more despondent. He sagged in defeat within Sasuke's strong arms, more than glad the other boy was saying nothing, but simply allowing him to let go of all the emotional baggage he had stored up for so long. He was faintly alarmed at how much this hurt…never imagined that crumbling down like this would be so painful. Not even Ms. Fuyutsuki had been able to break through the wall he had erected over the years. Jiraiya had tried, but Naruto had been quick to resist all attempts to be 'healed' from the emotional scars, preferring to mask them away with helpless fury and false joviality.

Twice. Twice now he had given in to Sasuke. What the hell kind of power did this guy have to make him want to confess everything? It wasn't as if Sasuke had asked him to open his mouth, and yet, each time they were alone like this, Naruto wanted…no _needed_ to tell all…to let Sasuke know just what he was really made of. Perhaps he secretly wanted to prove he was a whole lot more than just a piece of meat for his appraisal and wanted so badly to be accepted for his other faults. He had to let Sasuke know he wasn't a complete tool. He was human too…he hurt just like everyone else…

_What do you really think of me now, Sasuke? Why don't you reject me?_

"You promised not to touch me," he finally whispered, sniffling and pulling away slowly, now embarrassed as he was unable to look into the, no doubt, pitying dark eyes before him.

"I know," came the hoarse response, which would lead one to believe that Sasuke was doing his damn best not to get too emotional himself. "I won't…anymore. I'm sorry…I just…"

"You've made me cry twice," Naruto muttered as if accusing him.

"I didn't mean to, Naruto…but…"

"But what?"

"Thank you."

Naruto flushed at the sincerity in those two words and stole a quick glance to see just what Sasuke was trying to pull. What he saw had his heart skipping a beat. Those dark eyes were too bright with unshed tears, but there was a small smile on the boy's lips.

"I'm glad you told me about yourself. Even though I know you still hate me…somewhat…"

"I don't hate you," Naruto said quickly, and then lowered his gaze again, kicking himself inwardly for that admission. "I just…don't like the way you go about doing some things, I guess…"

_God, that sounded hella lame._

Sasuke's smile widened. "So you like me…?"

"Don't get too happy, moron."

"But at least you don't hate me, so there's a chance that…"

"I'm not sleeping with you, goddamn it!"

"….why not?"

"Is that all you think about? I just spilled my guts to you and all you can think about is having sex with…mmmpff!"

This time, Sasuke had wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck – his intention, a quick hug - but the move was so sudden that it had them both falling to the floor.

"Get off me," Naruto argued albeit weakly. The warmth and feel of Sasuke above him was something he realized he enjoyed…more than he ought to. He didn't know what shampoo or soap Sasuke used, but whatever it was, the boy smelled great.

_Fuck my mind and where it tends to wander off to. Grief!_

"I want to have more than sex with you, Naruto," came the breathless whisper against Naruto's neck. Sasuke smiled as he felt the rapid pulse beating in the hollow of the blond's neck, and the undeniable swell of awareness below the belt. "I want to know everything about you. I want to make you smile and laugh and…"

"Are you saying you're in love with me?" Naruto asked in a voice that trembled, holding his breath and wondering what the answer would be. If Sasuke said yes….

Oddly enough, Sasuke's face went a bright beet red, and before Naruto could blink, he was on his feet. "In…in love with you? Hell no!"

_Well this was a surprise…_

Naruto sat up, a frown on his features. "You're not?"

"Why…why the hell would I be in lo…love with you?"

"So what's all this for? You're just doing it to have sex with me after all, you pervert!"

"I want to have sex with you, yes, but…I want it to mean something to you as well, for fuck's sake!"

Naruto rubbed his temples. "Oy, Sasuke…I'm beginning to wonder if you even understand the concept of love."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Look who's talking. You wouldn't know if someone was in love with you even if they had a neon sign saying 'NARUTO! I LOVE YOU! ' written all over it."

"I do too!"

"Do not!"

"Grrr."

Sasuke's scowl was even darker. Who the fuck was Naruto to twist things around like this and confuse the hell of out of him?

"I'm going home," he suddenly announced as he reached for his books.

Naruto blinked. "But you haven't taught me anything!"

"Maybe this was a bad idea. I can't do this…I can't…"

"Will this change your mind then?"

"Wha…mmmphff!"

Sasuke wasn't sure what was more surprising or shocking to his senses – the fact that he was lying on his back on the floor with Naruto pressed tightly against him, or the fact that Naruto was actually…_kissing_ him with a passion that had his entire being springing to life again.

_Holy…so this is Naruto being aggressive? I love it…!_

Not to be outdone, Sasuke responded in kind, thrusting up and hard against Naruto's hips as his hands clutched and gripped the shirt like a lifeline. There was a rough mash of tongues and teeth, both boys seeming to battle this one out to see who would have the upper hand. It was a heady sensation as Sasuke hooked a leg around Naruto's to flip him over in a deft move.

"Aah…goddamn it….Sasuke…" Naruto gasped as his sensitive body flared up with heat. Sasuke's teeth grazed against his neck and down to that pounding hollow of his neck where he dipped his tongue and licked gently. Naruto arched off the floor, squeezing his eyes shut and unable to believe that such a little act was enough to get him even more aroused.

The buttons of his shirt were slowly being undone and the sudden sensation of Sasuke's teeth and then tongue against a nipple had Naruto slapping a hand over his mouth to control his cry of pleasure. Sasuke took his time tasting the hardened pink nub, a part of him wanting to erase the memory of Kiba doing this…wanting to stake his claim and to make the blond all his in every possible way. He spared a quick glance upwards and almost came in his pants at how sensual Naruto looked. He had always had an idea of Naruto's sensitivity to such intimate touches, but this was beyond his wildest dreams. There was now no doubt in Sasuke's mind that Naruto was highly sexual, and anything was more than likely to have him melting with lust.

_God, you drive me fucking wild, Naruto. You have no idea…_

"Naruto…" he moaned, as he placed a tender kiss on the clenching muscles of the blond's heaving torso. "My…Naru…"

"Oooh boys…" came the light knock on the door which had Sasuke sitting up with a jerk just as Ms. Fuyutsuki stuck her head in. "Sorry to interrupt your study session, but I thought you boys would like some refreshments. I'll just leave it here by the door, okay?"

Sitting before Naruto, so she wouldn't notice him, while frantically tugging the blond's shirt together at the same time, Sasuke tried to smile and look less flustered. "Than…thank you, ma'am."

"Is Naruto okay?" she asked, smiling warmly. From the doorway, it was hard to see Naruto lying on the floor beside the ginormous beanbags, so he was relatively safe.

"He's…eh…fine…" Sasuke answered. "He just had to use the bathroom."

"Oh, okay then…well enjoy the snacks and work hard, okay?"

"You bet we will."

Once the door was shut behind her, Sasuke was knocked on the head as Naruto rose to his feet on unsteady legs and tried to gather himself. "Don't fucking touch me again, or I'll kill you." It was a pity he was blushing hard as he said this, while making his way to the tray of cupcakes and what looked like apple juice.

"You started it," Sasuke replied with a smirk as he made his way to the tray as well. "That was a nice way of convincing me to stay, Naruto." He leaned close to steal a quick kiss on Naruto's cheek, only to duck as a fist came flying his way.

"I mean it, Sasuke. You promised, remember?"

Sasuke closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them with a firm nod and a serious look on his countenance now. "You're right. Enough with the kidding. Why don't we move to someplace other than the bedroom, eh?"

"Fine with me. Get the tray. I'll get the books and show you the way to the library up here. We can work there and you promise you'll keep your hands…."

"Yeah, yeah, I won't touch you. Jesus. It's not as if you don't like it."

"I never said I didn't like it," Naruto confessed, glad Sasuke couldn't see his face as he muttered this. "I just can't concentrate when you keep doing that and despite what you might think, I really do want to pass that test. To prove to everyone that I'm not as dumb as they think I am."

He stopped and spun around to pin a look so intense that it had Sasuke's heart racing in response.

"Will you help me, Sasuke? This time I'm begging you for real."

_Naruto…_

"Sure," came the soft whisper filled with an emotion Sasuke was yet to define. "I'll help you for as long as you need me."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes:** Did I forget to mention how wonderful you reviewers are? If I haven't...then you rock! Thank you!

* * *

**Chapter Twelve:**

Between trying to keep up with classes (and subsequently surprising the hell out of all the teachers and some students in the process), practice at the dojo, and his lessons with Sasuke, Naruto had never felt his brain more…how else to put this…_full_ with all the information he sought to cram into it in such a short period of time. He rarely hung out on the roof anymore (where was the time to do so anyway?) and at the end of the day, he was crashed out with exhaustion. Even doing any of his favorite pastimes – watching porn or playing video games – seemed to lose its appeal a little.

"Dude, you've got bags beneath your eyes," Chouji said as he watched his friend wash his face beside the baseball field where they were watching Shikamaru practice. "You're taking this studying thing way too seriously, bro."

Naruto grunted in response and stuck his head beneath the tap to get his hair wet. He pulled away and shook his head like a dog, before managing a small smile at his friend. "I know. I can't believe it myself, but … I'm getting used to it."

'Getting used to it', was one way of stating the obvious. Sasuke was a godsend and the boy hadn't been kidding when he said he would be brutal with Naruto when he put his mind to it. After that first day, Sasuke had arrived in school the next day with a well-planned time table of the topics they'd cover during their sessions. They had gone back to Naruto's house to study, this time using the living room downstairs. Sasuke was patient enough, but strict when he noticed Naruto about to whine or complain about how much work he was made to do. He gave Naruto assignments of his own, which he was to turn in first thing in the morning. Needless to say, the students of Class 3-1 were beginning to wonder just what kind of a relationship those two had, as Naruto would always dash into the room with papers in hand, thrust it at Sasuke before dashing off again before the first bell rang.

"Tutoring," was all Sasuke would say when asked by the curious ones.

To be honest, Sasuke was enjoying himself immensely with these study sessions – and not just because it was a chance to torture Naruto with algebra or quadratic equations. It was what happened _afterwards_ that made the difference for him. Surprisingly, it didn't involve any actual physical contact, as both boys had done their best to behave as much as possible. Naruto would always drive him home, but on the way, they sometimes stopped to either have a quick snack at Naruto's favorite ramen shop, or at a bookstore to browse through the latest manga released. If they had change to spare, they'd even play for a few minutes at an arcade.

They were getting to know each other a bit more, talking of other likes and dislikes besides class work or the tournament. Sasuke had come to know that Naruto liked his takoyaki with a lot of spices and very deep fried. Naruto's music tastes ranged from rap to hard rock. He liked to shop at a discount store downtown, where he got most of his designer gear. Sasuke knew that Naruto liked to walk over the narrow bridge next to the central park garden in the city, only to see if he could snag one of the rare koi fish that lived there. Sasuke had called him an idiot the day Naruto had taken him there, but had to admit he was curious himself to see if the blond could catch the damn thing. He had stood on the bridge, watching (with mild embarrassment as passersby looked on in confusion) Naruto roll up his pants legs and wade through the cold water. The boy would fall on his ass each time he missed and return grumbling and swearing to catch that 'goddamn-stupid-ass-fish' or his name wasn't Uzumaki Naruto.

"What are you chuckling about?" Suigetsu asked as he peered into his team captain's face. "You've been mighty pleased with yourself the last few days. Especially with Naruto hanging around you so much."

Sasuke ignored the snide remark and focused on the work before him. He was grading the latest assignment Naruto had just submitted and after the past four marathon days of studying, it seemed like his teaching style was finally paying off.

"I don't believe it," he whispered, wanting to get off his seat and run to Naruto's class to tell him the good news. "He got them all right."

"Got what all right?" Suigetsu queried.

"Don't you have anything better to do than hang around me?" Sasuke finally snapped with irritation.

"Geez, don't bite my fucking head off," came the grumble. "Just because you and your boyfriend…"

"He's not…" The automatic denial he usually reserved for whenever anyone accused him and Sai of being a couple, faltered on his lips as he weighed the implications in his mind.

_My boyfriend…technically…he is. Isn't he?_

/Are you in love with me? /

He blushed at the memory of the direct question, wondering why such a thing made him feel more flustered than he let on. He couldn't be…_in love_…not that it was a concept he was loathe to experience eventually, but when he really thought about it…

_You are, aren't you? All this time you've acted like you were only after his body…fascinated with the guy…it all boiled down to you really being …_

"Saaasuuke," Karin whined, in an attempt to gain his attention.

"Leave him alone," Suigetsu grumbled. "Mr. Wonderful is in his grouchy mood again."

_I can't be in love with him…I really like him, that's all. Love…not yet…besides…he doesn't feel the same way, and I can't fucking deal with anything that deep right now. _

He sighed and opened the textbook required as their teacher walked into class, realizing he was only kidding himself. He knew the real reason for his denial. He was scared shitless of being rejected eventually. Naruto would never really harbor feelings that deep for him, so to protect himself, Sasuke knew he'd have to keep his affections as superficial as possible...

…with the hope that someday…maybe…somehow…Naruto would reserve that emotion specifically for him.

* * *

Saturday night was a muggy one, and Amaru looked pretty damn cute in her pink polka-dot halter top and white shorts. Naruto felt smug at the looks of envy that came their way while stepping out of the crowded theater and walking towards the parking lot. The night-out was a welcome reprieve from his hectic week, although to be honest, he had almost forgotten about the date until Amaru's enthusiastic reminder early in the morning.

"That was a fun one, wasn't it, Naruto?" Amaru gushed as she pressed herself closer to him, arm entwined with his. "I needed the laugh."

"Sorry I couldn't get us into the action movie you wanted to see though. I had no idea they would sell out so quickly."

"You know what this means, don't you?" Amaru asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Naruto tried to look terrified. "Oh, no! What?"

Amaru giggled and tapped his arm gently. "Silly, Naruto. This means you owe me another movie night. And I won't take no for an answer."

Naruto gave a mock salute. "Yes ma'am! Consider me signed and delivered to your doorstep for our next movie night."

Amaru's light laughter was like music to his ears, and he couldn't help feeling pleased at the way things were going between them. He wanted to continue being friends with her, and realized that he was still unable to drum up the same intense feelings of infatuation he had once harbored for her. Oh, she was still drop dead gorgeous and he liked the way her body felt against his, but anything deeper than that was a lost cause.

"So, how's the practice coming along for the tournament?" she asked, nudging him out of his thoughts. "Just two weeks left, right? Excited?"

"Nervous as hell," Naruto confessed, coming to a stop before an ice cream stand, which had a pretty long line of waiting patrons. He maneuvered them into position, eager to taste the sweet treat. "I sometimes think I'm not ready for it."

"Ooh, a big, tough guy like you is nervous? I'm shocked!" Amaru teased, standing on tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his cheek. "With my support, you don't need to be afraid."

The gesture had the blond blushing, and he laughed it off. "Now I feel more confident. I'm gonna kick their asses! Especially Akatsuki."

Amaru's eyes widened. "Akatsuki, eh? They sound scary. What school are they from?"

"Seihou Gakuen," Naruto replied, frowning lightly as he remembered their faces and stats. "They really are a tough crew, but not to worry. Konoha fighters are the best. You heard it here first."

Amaru clapped her hands in glee. "Of course Konoha is awesome. I wish I went to your school though…"

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Why? Kusanagi Girls is like for you rich, smart, beautiful girls, isn't it? Everyone, guys included, would love to go to your school!"

"Yeah but…I'm not close enough to you," came the shy reply. "I want to see you everyday, Naruto." She pressed herself against him again, listening to the steady beat of his heart. "I want to be with you."

_Not you too,_ was the first thought to flicker across his mind, and he kicked himself inwardly for not being more enthusiastic about her blatant confession. He settled instead for caressing her hair gently, before placing a tender kiss on it. "You're actually really sweet, Amaru, and I like that about you."

"So you don't like my wild and naughty side?"

Naruto laughed at the memory. "Well now…I'm not complaining…hey! What the…?"

It was a hard bump from the person that walked by, and it wasn't just that the person had done so without apologizing, but it was the fact that there was plenty of room for the bastard to maneuver himself around and yet he had deemed it necessary to hit Naruto. The blond turned, a hand reaching out to tap the culprit's shoulder, more than ready to give him a piece of his mind. For a moment, the long blond hair had Naruto wondering if he was touching the wrong person (and he mentally prepared to apologize to the girl/woman if that was the case), however, all that was dashed aside as the person turned around to pin amused green eyes on him. It was soon followed by a sneer and everything clicked into place for Naruto as the mocking features were now fully trained on him.

_Deidara! _

"Well, well, what can I do for you, Uzumaki Naruto?"

Naruto took a step back, about to ask the question of how Deidara knew his name, but figured it would be pointless. If they knew about Seihou Gakuen's fighters, what stopped the other school from knowing all about Konoha's team?

"Nothing much," Naruto replied with a matching sneer, trying to control the rapid beating of his heart as the low, familiar surge of adrenaline at the notion of an impending fight, threatened to overwhelm him. He remembered the rules – not to get into any fight with any other tournament participant or the entire team would be disqualified. "Didn't think I'd get to see any Seihou cockroach before the tournament began. Shit. This ruins my whole grand entrance plans."

Deidara's brow twitched as his smile tightened. "Hmph. A drowned rat like you shouldn't be talking so big. Admit you're terrified of what we're capable of doing, Uzumaki Naruto." He took a threatening step forward, lips peeled back as his grin widened. "Your school has been lucky the past few years, but this is our time. Akatsuki will crush you like the maggots you are."

"Phew. Someone needs to brush," came the response that was punctuated by an exaggerated yawn. "You done? I can buy you some dental hygiene products if you …whoa there!"

He skipped out of range from the sudden blow that had been intended for his face, smirking and ducking in a swift move that had Deidara gasping in surprise as he missed again.

"Really now, should you be doing this?" Naruto teased, now on his haunches as he watched the furious blond standing before him. "If you punch me…just one, you'll be disqualified. And I'd rather kick your ass in the ring than have it all end here."

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Deidara roared and would have made another blind dash for Naruto, when the sudden appearance of the huge guy stopped him in his tracks. "Get out of my way, Kisame!" came the growl as he tried to move around the immobile figure. "I'm gonna fucking kill him!"

"That temper of yours is going to get us all in trouble, Deidara," said the firm voice belonging to the female Naruto hadn't even noticed until now. "Cool the fuck down."

_Konan, eh? _Naruto thought as he rose to his feet. She looked much taller in person, or maybe it was because of the mini-skirt she was wearing that revealed her long legs. Either way, she was a babe in her own right, but there was a coldness about her that sent shivers down Naruto's spine.

She turned to Naruto, their gazes locked for a moment, before she appraised the entire package with a heated look that had the blond flushing. "So you are Naruto," she finally said. "It should be an interesting tournament."

Deidara was all but foaming at the mouth as he watched the exchange. "Interesting, my ass. Let me at him."

"Better cool your bitch here," Naruto muttered, reaching into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. "Before I put my foot up his ass."

Deidara sputtered, his features now so red, one was sure he was bound to explode or pop a blood vessel – whichever came first. "Did he just call me a bitch? Did he? I'll kill him! Let me go, Kisame!"

The huge guy seemed to finally have enough of his annoying teammate as he shut Deidara up with a solid slap on the face. The blond, so stunned at the treatment, could only hold on to his stinging cheek unable to speak as he watched Kisame walk up to Naruto.

Naruto, who was about to light up, lifted his gaze to watch the approaching figure warily. He really didn't need the extra drama and with Amaru pressing against his side with worry etched on her features, he realized he'd have to diffuse the situation and take her home before things got out of hand.

"Hey, listen," he began with a small smile of truce. "Why don't we all just…urgh! What the hell?"

He scowled at the unnecessary action, wondering why the big guy felt it was necessary to touch him.

Kisame gave a smile and a horrible looking one at that. "I just wanted to apologize on Deidara's behalf," he said in a gruff voice, revealing canines that bore an uncanny resemblance to sharpened fangs. "I promise we will keep him in line until the tournament begins. I hope to see you there, Uzumaki Naruto. Do not disappoint me."

"Yeah, whatever," came the mumble as Naruto tugged on Amaru's arm gently. "Come on, let's go. I've had enough of these weirdos."

"So that's Akatsuki," Amaru deduced as she allowed herself to be pulled away from the watching trio. She shivered and looked at her striding partner, her fear growing tenfold at the enormity of what lay ahead for him. If those three were just a sample of the caliber of fighters they were bound to face, would Naruto or his teammates be able to fend them off? There was clearly intent to kill. Amaru couldn't put her finger on it, but she was terrified. This tournament seemed to be losing its innocent appeal of 'friendly-competition-between-schools' and was now entering the realm of 'fight-to-the-death'.

"Naruto…" she began, wondering how she could convey her worries to him. He had looked so sure and confident…not afraid of those guys and yet…

"Don't worry, Amaru," came the soft words as Naruto glanced over his shoulder to smile widely at her in reassurance. "Those bastards didn't scare me. I'm much tougher than I look and…urgh!"

He, suddenly, fell to one knee, a hand going to his chest…particularly where his heart was…as the sudden electrical surge wracked through him. He gasped and tried to breathe, vaguely aware that this was the same technique Sasuke had used on him…although it hadn't hurt to this extent. What Kisame had done was simply touch his chest. It hadn't even been a punch per say, and yet…

"Fuck!" He gave a deep gut-wrenching cough – a painful motion that had his throat burning in protest. He felt the rise of something thick like phlegm, and was alarmed to find his palm coated with blood…_his blood_…as he had covered his mouth to control it.

"Naruto!" Amaru shrieked as she noticed the dark red stain. "Oh, my God!"

_That bastard, Kisame! What the hell did he do to me?_

His vision swam and Amaru's shrieks weren't helping much with his pounding headache. "I'm fine…" he tried to say, but his voice sounded a million miles away and it hurt to speak.

"A doctor," the frantic girl was saying as she pulled out her cell phone, tears racing down her cheeks. "I have to call…" A firm hand on her trembling ones had her looking at Naruto in panic.

"Don't…" Naruto gasped as he staggered to his feet. "I'll be fine, honest. Don't tell anyone about this, Amaru."

"But…Naruto, you might be really….!"

Her choked sob was buried against his chest as he hugged her tightly to him. He whispered thickly into her hair with an urgency that scared her. "Don't let them know. If they do…it will get them worried and I don't need that for them before the tournament begins. Do you understand?"

She _didn't_ understand! Coughing up blood was not something to take lightly. She pulled away with a struggle and tried to glare sternly at him, still unable to stop the tears from falling. "I can't let it go, Naruto! You are badly hurt! You can't fight like this!"

"I've been in worse," the boy admitted with an attempt at a smile. He needed to lie down. "I'll heal just fine, you'll see. You can come check me out on Monday if you want and you'll see that I'll be back to a hundred percent."

She hitched in her sobs. "Naruto…"

He tapped her nose gently. "I'm tougher than I look, Amaru. You have to trust me."

Half an hour later, and despite two other attempts to get him to go to the hospital, Amaru could only watch helplessly as she waved after his disappearing figure. He had managed to get her home safely, but not before she helped wash away the blood stains from his mouth, hands and shirt. He hadn't coughed again, but she would have been a moron not to have noticed his ashen pallor and hoarse voice. Even the ride home had been less exhilarating as Naruto had driven considerably slower than his normal pace. She had felt him tremble within her embrace and as the tears fell again, she knew without a doubt that something just wasn't right.

_Sasuke…I have to call Sasuke!_

She dug into her bag for her cell phone, but remembering Naruto's fevered plea halted her actions. He didn't want to worry his teammates – it was to boost their morale and if they knew that he was injured….

_Oh God! What do I do?_

She slapped her hands over her face and broke down in defeat. She couldn't betray his trust. She had made a promise and she'd have to stick to it, no matter how much it hurt. Knowing she'd have to wait, watch and hope that he got better by the time the tournament began, was really all she could do now.

* * *

The next day, he shuffled into the kitchen in his pjs, barely registering the familiar breakfast smells that usually made him hungry. Ms. Fuyutsuki was bustling around the kitchen, as usual, humming a song he vaguely recognized. Maybe it was his imagination, but she always seemed a little happier when his uncle was around. Curious.

"Where's he?" Naruto asked, causing her to jump in fright at the sudden interruption.

"Goodness, Naruto," she gasped, holding a hand to her chest. "You frightened me. Next time make some noise, okay?"

He gave a weak smile, holding on to the doorjamb for fear his actual state would be revealed. "Sorry, auntie. Where is he though?"

"In the garage," came the reply. "Won't you eat something first? You look…pale." She eyed him carefully and before Naruto could step away, she moved closer to place a hand against his forehead. "Well, you don't seem to have a fever, but you are definitely pale…what's this?" Her eagle eyes caught the barely visible stain at the hem of his top. "Blood…? Naruto!"

"I'm fine, auntie," he began in protest, but she was already pounding up the stairs with an agility that surprised him. It didn't take long for her cry of shock to resonate through the house, and she ran back down clutching the soaked towels to her chest. "Auntie…"

"You are going to the hospital right this minute, young man!" she huffed just as Jiraiya stepped into the house, dressed in a grease-stained coverall.

"Who's going to the hospital?" he asked as he wiped his sweaty brow with a handkerchief already black with soot. He had been working on one of his classic convertibles, hoping he'd get to ride it around the city this fine Sunday afternoon. However, one glance at the blood-soaked towels, Ms. Fuyutsuki's panicked visage and finally, his nephew's pale countenance was enough to have him frowning.

"Naruto," he said quietly, as he eyed the boy. "What happened this time?"

"I didn't get into any fight, if that's what you're trying to say," came the sullen reply. The last thing Naruto needed was another lecture about his street fights. Shit. He hadn't been in one in quite a while, and to make things worse, he hadn't really started the argument last night. Damn that stupid, big-for-nothing blue-faced freak!

"…was all over the floor, I think," Ms. Fuyutsuki was saying. "I think he has tuberculosis. All that smoking!"

"Jesus! It's not tuberculosis!" Naruto yelled in frustration and ended up regretting it as his vision wavered. His head felt way too light and all too soon, he found himself almost kissing the floor, but not before his uncle's strong arms encircled him to prevent the fall.

"Damn it," Jiraiya cursed as he walked into the living room and placed the boy gently on the couch. He tugged Naruto's shirt open, eyes scanning over the heaving chest with growing concern. He placed his ear against it, noticing with mild panic that the boy's heart was beating at a rather irregular pace. This wasn't good.

"Kaname-hime," he said quietly, causing Ms. Fuyutsuki's eyes to widen at the name. It's been ages since Jiraiya had called her by her real name, and hearing it again after so long had her cheeks flushing with heat.

"Yes…" she whispered.

"Please…help him…." Came the earnest plea as the man, who could always look intimidating and larger-than-life, seemed to finally show his age. He clasped his hands to prevent them from trembling too hard.

"But it's been years," Kaname began weakly, a sliver of fear racing down her spine at what he was asking her to do. "I don't know if I have the ability anymore."

Jiraiya gave her a warm smile. "It never goes away, Kaname. I know his previous wounds have always healed fast and your services weren't needed, but this time…I think we ought to deal with this now before it's too late."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before opening them to nod slowly. "All right then. Prepare the room…and I'll do my best."

What Naruto didn't know about his 'uncle' and 'auntie's' relationship was this – Ms. Fuyutsuki, who looked like any ordinary woman in her late forties, had actually been raised as a priestess in the remote mountains up North. Jiraiya's travels had led him to her, due to his interest in ancient medicine and mythology. Kaname's extensive knowledge about all things regarding the Healing Arts, as well as her uncanny ability to cure most cases brought to her, had fascinated the young Jiraiya. It was during his stay there (he had lived in the temple for almost a whole year), when the news of Naruto's parents death was conveyed to him. Jiraiya was not really related to Minato or Kushina. The couple had been students during his days as a professor at a local college. It was his match-making skills that had brought them together, and needless to say, his thrill at being named their first son's godfather, was one of the best gifts he could ever receive. His grief at the news of their death was so great, Jiraiya made the decision to leave his sanctuary – almost without saying goodbye. However, at the bottom of the steps which led to the temple, was Kaname, waiting and already prepared for the journey ahead.

"I will follow you," was all she had said with determination in her beautiful blue eyes and voice. Jiraiya didn't have the heart to turn her away and the rest, as they say, is history.

The 'room' was a barely lit space in the basement, which was not very large, and looked absolutely empty at first sight. However, written all over the floor were strange markings, done in a large perfect circle that closely resembled the yin-yang symbol. In the center of this circle was where Naruto lay, stripped down to only his underwear and the necklace around his neck. His breathing was harsh and uneven in the quiet room as the adults sat at either end of him – Jiraiya at his feet and Kaname at his head. Their hands were clasped tightly together, eyes closed as they concentrated on the task before them.

After what seemed like an eternity, a low hum began to resonate from the depths of the floor. Neither adult moved even as the strange markings seemed to tremble, nor when it began to squiggle like snakes on the ground. A dull blue glow began to fill the circle and envelope them in a warm cocoon. Naruto's breathing became more erratic and the concentration on the adults' faces magnified tenfold. Sweat – like tiny drops of pearls – danced upon their flesh, none more so than Kaname, whose powers had lain dormant for so long. With one final push, the dancing markings began to worm their way around the circle and as if on cue, formed a line that raced directly into Naruto's chest. The boy's body jerked off the ground as if pulled by a violent invisible force and the howl that escaped his lips was unearthly and deafening in the relative silence.

"Almost there," Kaname whispered through gritted teeth. She could feel herself getting weak, but she knew she had to hang on if this was to work. "Hang in there, Naruto…I know it hurts, but we're almost there."

In less than a minute, it was all over as soon as it began. The last of the markings vanished into the boy's chest, leaving nothing but a tiny black mark in the form of a circle above his left nipple. He was quiet again…but most importantly, it seemed like his breathing was back to normal.

"We…we did it," Jiraiya panted as he smiled in relief. "We actually did …Kaname!" He cried out in panic as he noticed the woman about to fall into a dead faint, dashing towards her with a speed that would have surprised his nephew, if he was awake. "Kaname," he called out desperately, tapping her pallid cheeks gently. "…Kaname, answer me!"

With a low groan, she lifted her lashes and gave the concerned man a small but warm smile. "I'll…I'll be fine, Jiraiya. I just need to get some rest. I haven't expended this much energy in so long. I should punish you for this."

Jiraiya chuckled and cradled her within his arms and together they watched the sleeping boy in silence for a while.

"When do you think it will be a good time to let him know about this room," Kaname finally asked.

"Hopefully never," Jiraiya muttered. "I promised Minato I'd take care of his kid, and I'm doing the best I can. The last thing he needs is any knowledge about our way of healing. I just hope we never have to do anything this extreme again. Whoever did that to him had the intention to kill, Kaname."

"That is true. However…"

"However what?"

"I don't think we have to worry too much about him anymore," the woman said with a soft giggle. "I think he has surrounded himself with good friends – friends who will protect him no matter what."

"Not those three troublemakers," Jiraiya groaned.

"Those three and more," Kaname replied as she rose to her feet slowly. "That boy…Sasuke Uchiha…"

"Oh, Naruto's boyfriend, eh?" came the cheeky reply which earned him a light cuff on the head. "Come now, even you've seen the way those two act. What did I say wrong?"

Kaname ignored the whining and moved closer to Naruto. Falling to her knees, she caressed his features gently, feeling her heart swell with the love she had for the tenacious and yet wonderful young man she considered her son.

"Kaname…"

"I should make lunch," she said quickly; standing up and turning away to hide the tears that threatened to fall. She took a deep breath and turned to smile a bit too brightly at the man watching her. "Don't worry; I'll make a lot for him because he'll definitely be hungry when he wakes up. Mmm…I think I'll go with a hot pot…"

She continued to mutter to herself as she left the room, leaving Jiraiya alone with his thoughts…

…thoughts of the beautiful woman who had made the ultimate sacrifice for him and how blind and foolish he had been all this time.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes: **Someone mentioned the last chapter being a 'filler episode'. And here I thought it was written to develop a few more characters *lol* Now I know what Kisihi-san must be going through. Much thanks again for all the reviews/comments/encouragement! I don't forsee this story going over 20 chapters, so I think we're slowly approaching the climatic (I hope!) conclusion.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen:**

Frustrated beyond belief, Sasuke took the stairs two at a time in an effort to reach the rooftop (where he was sure Naruto would be) before the first bell rang. He had hoped to see the blond yesterday for a final day of revision before the big test this morning, but thanks to his parents deciding to visit relatives in Sapporo, all his plans had to be scratched. Hopefully, Naruto had taken the time to do some last-minute studying of his own. Not that he doubted the blond would do well on the test, but then again…one never knew which Naruto would show up in school today.

"Sasuke?"

He stopped at the sound of his name, irritation etched on his features as he looked over his shoulder to see who was bugging him now. When he saw who it was, he relaxed a little, although he still wanted to get this over and done with.

"What is it, Sai?"

"Can I talk to you in private?"

Sasuke raised a brow and then eyed the empty corridor as if wondering just how private Sai wanted them to be. This part of the school was considered a storage area where broken down furniture were kept. Students rarely came here…besides those who wanted to get to the rooftop using this route, that is.

"In here would be fine," Sai invited as he pushed open a door leading into an abandoned classroom. The dust was thick in here, and there was something haunting about the skeletal looking desks and chairs upturned or shoved into a corner. The paint on the walls was peeling, the ceiling needed to be fixed, and cobwebs hung like gossamer threads all over the place. Someone had been nice enough to write 'P.E SUCKS BALLS, SO DOES COACH FUKURADA' on the blackboard, and Sasuke wondered just when the admin would do something about the state of this section of the school. But until then, he had to figure out just what the hell Sai wanted with him. His teammate's sullen attitude was really beginning to grate on his nerves.

"All right, Sai," he finally said as he sank his hands into the pocket of his pants. "What did you want to talk abou…mmm…?"

Sai's lips against his unexpected, but not unfamiliar. The initial feeling of repulsion/need to push Sai away overwhelmed him at first. However, Sasuke decided to indulge the other boy just this once…and last time. He removed his hands from his pockets to cup Sai's cheeks, pulling away slowly to stare into the flushed visage before him.

"You want it that bad?" Sasuke asked in a thick whisper.

Sai managed a small nod, gasping in pleasure as Sasuke's lips took control; that talented tongue finding and tasting his as the kiss deepened. He clutched the lapels of Sasuke's blazer, not trusting his weakened knees and pressed himself tighter against his captain's sinewy length.

"Aah…" came his breathless gasp as he arched his neck to allow Sasuke access when his swollen lips were finally released. He moaned and thrust even harder against Sasuke, wanting more than just this…to finally consummate this one-sided relationship, no matter how needy it made him. However, he would have been a fool not to feel it…even as Sasuke returned to claim his lips again. Sai knew his captain was only doing this for him and not because he really wanted to. It felt more like a duty…a chore or task to complete and Sai hated him for it.

Hated and yet loved the heartless bastard all at the same time.

With monumental effort, he pulled away from the embrace and walked away, pacing restlessly to erase the erection straining in his pants.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked with a light smirk. "I thought it was what you wanted."

"Fuck you," Sai retorted, eyeing Sasuke with venom in his eyes and getting even more frustrated as the other boy chuckled. "It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry," Sasuke replied, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "But seriously, Sai, what the hell did you call me here for? You could easily molest me in the hallways downstairs and besides -"

"I know, I know," came the cold interruption. "You want to meet your precious Naruto. God, I can't…I don't understand what the fuck you see in him!"

Sasuke sighed and ran fingers through his hair. "If you called me here to argue about this shit, consider the conversation over, Sai."

He began to move towards the door, when Sai's flat statement had him freezing in place.

"Naruto met with some members of Akatsuki on Saturday night."

"What did you say?" came the deceptively quiet question that did not betray the sudden tension he was feeling inside.

"Naruto ran into Deidara, Kisame and Konan on his date with Amaru. They seemed to get into a squabble…and then…"

Sasuke could feel his heart pounding as various scenarios raced through his mind: Naruto getting into a fight with them or worse Naruto getting injured in some way.

"And then what?" he finally snapped as Sai seemed to want to draw out the suspense.

"I'm not sure, but it seemed like he and Kisame had a little talk…there were no punches exchanged, however, Naruto started coughing up blood after some time."

Sasuke's eyes widened; a cold dread filling him as his head began to pound with a headache that made his vision waver.

"He still took Amaru home…at least that was the last thing I saw…urgh!"

Sasuke had grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and was now glaring at Sai with a look that bordered on hate. In the same quiet voice that spoke volumes, he said, "You were there. You were there and you saw this happen and you did nothing, Sai?"

Sai tried to scowl, even though he felt a shiver of fear wrack through him at how angry Sasuke was. "What the hell did you want me to do? He seemed to have everything under control…!"

"He's your teammate!" Sasuke roared in fury. "Even if you don't like him for whatever fucked up reason, he's still your motherfucking _teammate_! Why didn't you do something? Take him to a hospital…anything! Goddamn you!"

He thrust Sai away from him in disgust, feeling nothing as the other boy fell to the floor, coughing and trying to get some air back into his lungs.

"He's…he's in school," Sai wheezed. "This must mean he's okay. See? He didn't need my help. Save your anger for someone else because you know what? I'm quitting the team."

"What?"

"You heard me," Sai replied, rising to his feet and kicking himself inwardly for the tears that were filling his eyes. "I can't do this anymore, Sasuke. I'm done."

"You're quitting the team."

"Yes."

Sasuke's lips tightened and it took all of his self-control not to lash out at Sai. Finally, he shrugged and pushed open the door to let himself out.

"Do what you like, Sai," he said in a voice devoid of emotion. "I don't give a fuck anymore."

* * *

Naruto had heard of going cold turkey, but this was ridiculous. He eyed the five packs of cigarettes all arranged in a row before him and wondered if they had gone stale. He checked each box again – never really caring before for expiration dates – but how else would it explain why all of them now tasted like crap? He could only see the 'best before' dates, but the packs were all well within the figures stated.

"The fuck…?" With a low grumble, he opened a pack, picked a stick and stuck it into his mouth. He lit up and waited for that familiar rush which usually helped him relax. Unfortunately, his mouth suddenly seemed to be filled with a bitter taste he could not describe and he all but hurled in disgust as he tossed away the cigarette. He tried this for two more packs and gave up as the same result was experienced.

"Maybe I need new ones," he finally concluded, groaning and leaning against the wall. He was nervous about the test; even though he was sure he would do well. Sasuke's lessons had helped and his self-study hadn't been as bad as he thought. Sasuke had shown him easy ways of memorizing formulas and Naruto had found himself muttering them to himself as he brushed his teeth, took a shower and got dressed this morning. Of course there was the little problem he had noticed on his chest when he woke up. The dark black mark was about the size of a coin and he had rubbed it as hard as he could, perhaps assuming he might have messed around with a marker or something. Try as hard as he might though, the darn thing wouldn't clear off. On closer inspection, it looked too perfect a circle for anyone to have drawn by hand. He pondered if it was a birthmark he had never really noticed, but then kicked himself for even thinking that. He's seen his body naked everyday of his life and he knew he most certainly did not have a birthmark above his left nipple. You just couldn't ignore something like that. Maybe he ought to do research to figure out if birthmarks randomly appeared….

"Naruto."

He looked up at the sound of his name, and would have hailed out a cheerful greeting, if it wasn't for the pensive look on the other boy's face. Naruto felt his heartbeat quickening in worry, wondering if he was about to be told some disastrous news like say 'all the studying we've been doing was for nothing. You're going to fail the test, Naruto and there's nothing you can do about it.' Of course if those were the words he heard, Naruto was going to kill Sasuke, but until then –

"What's up?" he asked, trying to muster a smile, however, the dark-haired boy remained silent, his eyes searching for something Naruto wasn't sure of. He glanced down at himself, just to be sure nothing was out of place, and then looked up again with growing impatience. "What the fuck, man? Why are you looking at me like…hey!"

Sasuke had reached out to pull him to his feet, those dark eyes now more intense as they stared into Naruto's face, down his body as if checking for something before meeting the bemused blue eyes again.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" Sasuke asked quietly, even thought there was a slight edge in his tone.

"Am I ok…what the hell is that supposed to mean?" came the quizzical response. "How am I supposed to feel?"

"Are you hurting anywhere?" Sasuke snapped impatiently.

Naruto frowned. "I'm fine. What's your motherfucking problem?"

"You're sure."

"Of course I'm sure! Look I don't need…."

Sasuke's arms suddenly wrapped tightly around his neck, and the firm press of that body against his, had Naruto blushing up a storm. His arms itched to reciprocate the gesture, but for some reason, he felt incredibly shy about going that far, and he was still confused as to why Sasuke was even acting like this. Why the hell would he be so worried about him hurting…

_Movies. Amaru. Konan. Deidara. Kisame….Kisame! His chest. The coughing…his blood…! Holy shit! Sasuke knows!_

Had Amaru failed to keep her promise? Did she tell Sasuke about the whole thing even though he had begged her not to? The funny thing was…Naruto really was in no pain at all. The events of that night now seemed like nothing more than a distant memory and he felt perfectly healthy. He hadn't coughed since…

_Wait a minute…I woke up yesterday morning…then what happened? _

He remembered walking into the kitchen to look for his uncle and then…not much else. All he knows is that he had woken up this morning, feeling damn fine and hungry as hell.

"Sasuke…" He shivered at the tender kiss placed on the hollow of his neck, fighting back a groan as he felt Sasuke's hands slowly travel down his neck to his ass only to cup it firmly…almost possessively.

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you, Naruto?" came the husky whisper as Sasuke pulled back a little to stare into the blushing features.

"I probably would," Naruto replied, "but I still don't get what you're so concerned about. If Amaru told you anything…"

"It wasn't Amaru," Sasuke interrupted, a dark look flitting across his face. "It was Sai."

Naruto blinked. _Sai? How could he…?_ "He was there?"

"Apparently," Sasuke murmured. "He said he saw you get into a squabble with Akatsuki…and Kisame did something to you." He pressed a hand against Naruto's chest, feeling the bump of the necklace against his palm, and the low rhythmic thud of Naruto's heartbeat. He would have smiled in pleasure at the gasp Naruto let lose as he purposefully caressed the taut nipple through the shirt, but his mind was too filled with worry and concern. "Tell me the truth, Naruto. What really happened?"

Naruto struggled within himself, not wanting to reveal anything else, but then again, who knew what Sai must have told Sasuke. The damage was already done. He'd just have to convince his captain that he was still capable of fighting in the tournament.

"Yeah, Kisame did do something all right," he finally replied with a light shrug. "That electric shock thing you did to me when we fought the first time, only his was a little more severe. I did cough up blood…but I'm fine now, really. I'm sure Ms. Fuyutsuki gave me something to ease the pain because I don't even have a fever. See? I can still fight and believe me, I'll be more than glad to give that fuckface Kisame a taste of his own medicine."

Sasuke stared into the feral features and felt that familiar shiver of lust at the sight. Being this close to Naruto and wanting to feel possessed by the blond was a heady sensation that made his stomach flutter with nervous butterflies. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead upon Naruto's shoulder, wanting to believe that everything was going to be all right – that Naruto really was healed and that…

"…can't believe Sai was there though," came the musing words which reminded Sasuke of the incident in the classroom. He'd have to break the news to them about Sai's decision to leave the team. How to bring up the subject was going to be a problem though. If they began asking questions, how the fuck was he supposed to say it was because he wouldn't be Sai's boyfriend or fuck buddy?

_That selfish, spoiled prick!_

"Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

"St…stop…you're squeezing too hard," Naruto gasped, even as he felt himself getting more aroused at Sasuke's sudden aggressive turn. The hand that once caressed his chest, had moved back to his ass and was kneading it slowly…harder, forcing his hips to grind against Sasuke's in an obvious dry humping motion that made him more aware of his captain's raw sexual appeal. If he had thought that sneak preview on the floor of his bedroom had been a taste of what Sasuke was capable of…

"Fuck!" He threw back his head as Sasuke's lips grew bolder, sucking hard on the flesh of his neck as he thrust harder and faster against Naruto.

"Stop it, Sasuke," Naruto pleaded, the hazy mist of lust threatening to consume him. He didn't want to come in his pants and if Sasuke didn't stop soon, there was no way he could walk into the classroom with a stained uniform. He captured his lower lip between his teeth and with a light grunt, placed his hands on Sasuke's shoulders to push him back. "Quit it, you nympho!"

"I thought that was reserved for girls," Sasuke panted, desire clearly filling his eyes as he licked his lips, smirking as Naruto's hooded gaze drifted towards the motion.

"I don't give a fuck if it's reserved for girls or boys or whatever," Naruto replied through lips that felt parched and thirsty….thirsty for the ones that begged to be kissed before him.

"Why don't you do what you want to do to me, Naruto?" Sasuke cajoled in that voice that Naruto was _really_ beginning to wish Sasuke wouldn't use so much. How one's voice could be a turn on was beyond him.

"The bell has rung," came the weak excuse.

"So?"

"Sasuke…"

"I won't let you go until you do it."

They stared into each other's eyes for a long minute, heartbeats pounding harder and faster as there seemed to be an unspoken agreement that if Naruto took the plunge, this was going to be a whole new twist to their already wacky relationship.

_Please, Naruto…_

_Just…just go for it! You did it before, so what's stopping you now?_

Naruto swallowed and took a deep breath, trembling hands reaching up to cradle Sasuke's handsome face between them. With a low moan, he lowered his lashes and pressed his lips against the waiting ones, almost melting with pleasure as Sasuke's mouth seemed to blossom for him in hungry response. Tongues met and danced gently….shyly against each other…gone was the fevered kiss they had shared in his bedroom. This was slow and tender, deep and so amazingly better than either boy could possibly imagine. Naruto's stomach felt funny and that ache…that sweet ache in his chest seemed to squeeze his heart so tightly, he felt light-headed.

They finally pulled apart for air, although not too far as their foreheads met in an effort to catch their breath and allow the enormity of the simple act to sink into their lust-filled minds.

"Wow…" Naruto finally breathed. He didn't know what else to say. What _could_ he say? He had kissed and been kissed before, but this was the first time it had actually meant…so much more. He couldn't put his finger on it.

"I should let you go," Sasuke murmured.

"Yeah….you should…."

Neither boy made an effort to move all the same.

Sasuke stared into those endless pools of blue and felt his resolve begin to crack. All he had to say were those three words and he was sure that Naruto would either kick his ass or tell him to go fuck himself. But what the hell…what harm could it do to finally get it off his chest? Naruto had asked and he had been too flustered to give a decent reply, but this time…

"Naruto…?"

"Hmm?"

"What if…" He cleared his throat. "What if I…and I'm not really saying I am, but…what if I told you that I was…eh…that maybe I was in lo…and again, this is in theory…in lo…love with you…you know like you asked me the other day. What would you do?"

Naruto blinked at the sudden question, wincing inwardly as the second warning bell went off for the beginning of classes. He'd have to make this quick, and to be honest, he still wasn't really sure of what Sasuke was after.

"Hmm…I guess I wouldn't believe you," came the blunt answer. "You don't even know what love means!" He laughed softly and with a quick hard kiss on Sasuke's parted lips, he pulled away. "I've gotta run though. I can't miss the test I've been studying like a mofo the past week. Wish me luck!"

"Good lu…" But Sasuke found himself talking to thin air as Naruto had already dashed into the building without a second look back.

_/You don't even know what love means!/_

"Idiot," he muttered, noticing the packs of cigarettes Naruto had left behind. He reached for one and caressed it gently, his lips and body still tingling from what they had just shared. "I do know what the fuck love is, moron," came the aching whisper. "And it hurts like hell."

* * *

He passed the test with flying colors, so much so that Iruka called him into the staff office to congratulate him personally. Naruto had stared at the 98/100 written on the paper and had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. But there it was! An A! - his first A in any subject since he stepped into the halls of high school and it was all thanks to Sasuke's tough teaching.

He couldn't wait to show the results to Sasuke and all but bound into the dojo that afternoon, grinning from ear to ear.

"I passed!" he yelled in excitement as he noticed Juugo, Karin and Suigetsu already warming up.

"Ho ho! Congrats!" Suigetsu hailed. "Looks like the captain helped you out a lot."

"You bet," Naruto agreed, unable to stop himself from smiling as he joined Juugo to stretch with him. "I really studied hard, man. My brain still hurts."

"That's because it's protesting from being unused in so long," Karin chimed in with a smirk. "It needed the workout."

Naruto, in too good a mood to be bothered by the slight jab, chuckled and focused on his partner. "How's it going, Juu? How was your Chem test?"

Juugo blushed lightly. "I did better than expected, thank you for asking."

"Well, at least I'm glad that you're all doing much better with your studies," came the voice of Kakashi as he stepped into the dojo with Sasuke in tow. "Good bodies and minds are essential to the arts. Don't forget that."

"I passed, Sasuke!" Naruto bellowed, eyes flashing with a joy that his teammates had never seen before. Who knew passing a simple test would make him this happy? "I can't thank you enough for your help…actually I think I can." He smirked and winked, causing the others to gape at their blushing team captain, who was doing his best to act as if Naruto hadn't just come on to him so blatantly.

"Hey…what's this all about?" Karin asked in bemusement. "What does he mean by…?"

"Don't you get it yet?" Suigetsu interrupted with a smirk of his own. "Sasuke and Naruto are boinking each other…"

"We are not!" came the instant denial from Sasuke. Only to be followed by a barely audible '….yet'.

"Oh, my innocent ears," Kakashi said with a look of mock shock.

"Sen…sensei!" Sasuke hissed, and would have dove for Suigetsu who was laughing himself into a hernia, if it wasn't for Naruto's next question.

"Where's Sai? He's not usually this late."

"Yeah, that's true," Karin agreed, even though she was still trying to wrap her mind around the images of Sasuke and Naruto being a couple. "Did he say he was coming today, Sasuke?"

They all turned to the boy who was now staring at nothing in particular with a frown of irritation on his features. "Sai is no longer a part of the team," he finally said in clipped tones that signified he'd rather not talk about this.

As expected the simultaneous cries of 'WHAT?' from his teammates only did more to make him pissed off – more at Sai than at them.

"Why would he quit with only a week left to the damn thing?" Suigetsu growled. "What's his problem?"

"How should I know?" came the mumble as Sasuke turned away to begin stretching on his own. "It's his business -"

"Sasuke," Kakashi called out quietly – in a voice that clearly stated he wanted to know answers and wanted to know them now.

Sasuke's jaw worked silently and he resisted the urge to tell them all to go to hell. He could feel the weight of their gazes on him, and it seemed as if they were blaming him for whatever reason.

"He's a part of the team," Naruto muttered. "Even though he's a jerk sometimes, but….without him, we'd be incomplete."

"We can do without him," Sasuke snapped irritably. What was this 'incomplete' shit? Naruto was supposed to be pissed off or hell! even pleased Sai was no longer around to cause trouble. Why was he trying to act all saintly now?

"Naruto has a point," Juugo said quietly. "I do not like some of the things he does sometimes, but he is still a good fighter and will be indispensable -"

"Trust me, he is dispensable," Sasuke interrupted rudely.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi called out sharply.

However, the stubborn boy wasn't budging. He met the cool eyes of his teacher and replied calmly. "I'm not begging him to come back, sensei. It was his decision to leave on purely selfish reasons, and I'm not going to ask him to return. He can go fuck himself for all I care."

"I think you should leave for today, Sasuke," Kakashi said with a sigh. "When you've cooled down a bit, you can return to the dojo."

Cursing beneath his breath, he rose to his feet and stormed out of the room, leaving his teammates stunned at the sudden turn of events. Kakashi sighed again and tried to diffuse the tense situation. "All right…why don't we begin with…"

"I'm going to find Sai," Naruto suddenly announced as he rose to his feet. "I'll be back in a bit."

Before anyone could stop him, he was out of the room and running towards the main school building. If he knew Sai's schedule, he was sure the other boy would be in the art room, and sure enough, his instincts were correct.

The large room was almost empty, save for Sai and another student who was currently washing a set of brushes. Sai was sitting by the window, sketchbook in hand while focused on whatever he was doing. So engrossed was he in his work that he barely registered the shadow that fell over him or the low whistle of approval that soon followed.

"Wow, that is awesome, Sai. She's beautiful." It was a sketch of a mother breastfeeding her baby, so rich in detail that it was amazing Sai was able to reproduce such an image from memory instead of having actual models in the room.

The boy snapped the book shut and looked up and into Naruto's face with annoyance. "What do you want?" came the icy greeting.

Naruto, sucking in his initial feeling of anger at the way Sai was acting, replied as cheerfully as he could. "You missed practice, and we were worried about you."

Sai rolled his eyes. "Spare me, Naruto. You could care less if I was there or not. Besides, Sasuke must have told you all by now that I quit the team."

"Oh yeah, he did mention something about that, but I was unaware we had a chicken on the team, so I came to find out for myself."

"You…!"

"Seriously now," Naruto cut in, still acting as cheerful as ever, "Why would you want to quit so suddenly? I thought you were all about kicking Akatsuki's ass? What made you change your mind? Hmm? I hope it's not because of what happened Saturday night. Sasuke told me you were there. But see…you don't have to be afraid of them, I'm perfectly…"

"Why the fuck would you think I'm afraid of them?" Sai snapped.

"Why else would you quit?" Still cheerful, although it was now taking an effort to maintain the smile. Naruto wanted to slap some sense into the boy, but controlled himself. No wonder Sasuke hadn't wanted to beg Sai to return. The boy was a nutcase.

Sai took a deep breath and turned back to the window. "I don't have to dignify you with an answer."

The smile vanished and Naruto growled, reaching out to grab Sai by the scruff of his shirt to glare into the pale and uninterested visage. "Now listen here, you asshole. We've worked hard the past few weeks to get to this point, and you're not going to bail out on your teammates at the last minute! What kind of a person does that?"

"You don't need me," came the quiet reply. "With you in the mix, you don't need me. Neither does Sasuke. He doesn't need me anymore." To his horror, and Naruto's surprise, his eyes began to water and with a disgusted grunt at his moment of weakness, Sai slapped away Naruto's hand, forcing his shimmering gaze on his sketchbook. He clutched it tightly to his chest as if hoping to draw comfort from it.

Damn it! Why did he have to show his weakness in front of this blond moron?

"Sai…"

"You don't understand," Sai whispered, unable to control himself. "I love him, Naruto. Always have. I joined the team because he was there. I risked my neck each time to gather information for him, hoping he'd see me as more than just another student, but no matter what I did, he just wouldn't acknowledge me in that way. He's a cruel, cold-hearted bastard and I still love him for it. Can you possibly understand that?"

For a long minute, neither boy said anything, and Sai was beginning to regret being so open with Naruto. Of course he didn't expect the boy to understand. What had he been thinking?

"You're right…maybe I don't really understand what it means to love someone that deeply," Naruto finally admitted quietly. "But maybe…maybe I'm beginning to understand what it means to have someone you really care about. Someone you can talk to about anything and share anything with him…to know that he won't laugh at you or think you're dumb…to see you for what you really are and not what others perceive. Sasuke saw that in all of you…he saw that in me, and for that I'm really grateful, as I'm sure you and Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo are. He gave you all a chance when others thought you were weird or odd or batshit crazy. So, maybe he's not showing you the love you want or whatever, but…isn't it enough that he trusts you so much to give you such an important role in the team? Don't you think he's hurting too that you quit like that? After all that time with him, Sai…it's like a slap in the face for him too. He might not show it, but I think he really wants you back on the team, but doesn't know how to go about asking you. Whatever he's done to you…couldn't you find it in your heart to forgive him this one time, huh?

"Team Taka is incomplete without you Sai. We're going to need your skills if we hope to take down those bastards," Naruto finished with a more genuine smile.

"Anyway…just think about it," he added after Sai refused to reply or even look at him. He wondered if all he had just blabbed was a waste of time and made a mental vow to trim down his speeches from now on. "We'll be in the dojo if you change your mind. See ya."

He left the sullen boy and walked back to the Martial Arts building, wincing as his bare feet scraped against stones and pebbles on the ground. In his haste, he had forgotten to wear his shoes and had to limp his way into the dojo, where Juugo and Suigetsu were currently sparring. He sat beside Karin and wrapped his arms around his raised knees.

"Any luck?" Karin whispered, worry etched on her features.

"I talked to him," Naruto replied, "But I don't know if he'll show up. I did the best I could." He shrugged and took a deep breath, watching the others spar for a few more minutes. Finally, he rose to his feet with a light grunt and held out a hand to his teammate. "Ready to kick my ass, woman?"

Karin gave a weak smile and reached for him. "Yeah…let's….ah!"

Naruto turned around at her gasp of shock, eyes widening even as his heart seemed to soar with relief at the sight of the boy standing silently within the doorjamb still dressed in his uniform.

The other fighters stopped, and even Kakashi stepped out of his office to see what was going on. Sai looked embarrassed at all the attention and blushed as he took a step in, bowing as low as he could. Without lifting his head, he said quietly,

"I'm sorry for my rash decision but…I'd like to rejoin the team if I may, sensei."

The silence in the dojo was so deafening, the echoes from the other rooms filtered into it like ghosts chanting. Finally, Kakashi asked quietly, "What decision is that, Sai?"

Sai looked up with slight bemusement. "My…my decision to quit the team…"

Kakashi scratched his head lightly and glanced at the other fighters. "Did any of you hear about this? Quitting the team?"

"No, sensei," Naruto said with a look of confusion as well. "Did you Karin?"

"Nope," the girl replied with a shrug. "Juugo? Suigetsu? Did any of you know about Sai quitting? Who's been spreading that rumor?"

"I don't know, but whoever it is, I'm gonna kick his ass!" Suigetsu growled and pounded a fist into his palm. "Hurry up and change, bro. You and I have to spar today."

Sai felt the ridiculous well of tears again as he watched his teammates go back to whatever they were doing, acting as if it was just another ordinary day. He noticed Sasuke wasn't there and wondered if Naruto really had been right in saying the other boy would be affected by his decision to leave. He sucked in a deep breath and began to walk to the locker room to change, but not before meeting the amused blue eyes that gave him a knowing wink, sending his cheeks flooding with color as he forced himself to look away.

_I think I'm beginning to see just why you're enamored with him, Sasuke. Uzumaki Naruto…he really is something else._


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes:** Ah, Sai... I do like Sai for all his...eh...eccentricities in the manga. And I'd have to say besides my main love Sasu/Naru and then Kiba/Naru, I'd probably want him and Sasuke to get it on...like Kishi-san obviously thinks they should. *lol*

Again, my sincere thanks for the reviews/comments! I must confess I'm eager to see anyone tackle fanart for the story. I adore looking at pretty pictures!

**P.S:** To clear up some confusion - Anko Ai (the porn star) is completely different from Kakashi's Anko...the one we all know and love on the show/manga.

And now without further ado...enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen:**

"I can't believe you talked him into coming back," Sasuke grumbled as he and Naruto made their way out of the dojo after another day of practice. They were sore all over, and Sasuke knew they were pushing themselves to their limits, but he hoped it would be all worth it in the end. They could leave nothing to chance, Sasuke would make sure of it. Naruto, meanwhile, was still showing no signs of hurting from the incident with Kisame, and Sasuke had to keep reminding himself not to be such a worrywart. If Naruto was convinced he was fine…then he had no other choice but to believe him.

"Admit that you're happy, Sasuke," Naruto replied with a chuckle, nudging the other boy gently. "At least we're all together again."

"Yeah, yeah, just one big happy family," Sasuke said with a roll of his eyes. "Are you coming over to my place?"

Naruto pursed his lips in thought – the invitation _very_ tempting. However,

"Nah, not today. I promised to check out Kiba's soccer game. He's going to be playing for the first time since he signed up."

Sasuke nodded, trying to squash down the dull pang of jealousy. It was just a soccer game for chrissakes. It wasn't as if Naruto was going to return back to Kiba… besides, their relationship was becoming deeper, wasn't it? What was there to worry about?

"So…I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Naruto grinned. "Sure. The pep rally for us is on Wednesday, right? I don't wanna forget like I usually do…"

"Speaking of which…"

"What?"

"I haven't seen you light up for almost two days now. Going cold turkey?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.

Naruto, who was still amazed at his sudden dislike for his former addiction nodded, "Yeah. It's weird. Ever since…"

_That night with Kisame…_

"…Monday, I just don't seem to enjoy the damn thing anymore. I even tried buying new packs today and they all still tasted like crap. Maybe my body's all smoked out and can't take it anymore."

Sasuke laughed softly at the rather nonsensical deduction, but shrugged all the same. "Whatever you say, Naruto. At least you feel healthier, don't you? Smoking is bad."

"Look who's talking. You still smoke…"

"I'm trying to quit, douchebag. Anyway…I'm off. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" And before he could stop himself - actually, he hadn't really given it much thought - Sasuke leaned closer to place a tender kiss on Naruto's lips, only to blink in surprise as the blond took a step back with an aghast look on his features.

"What are you doing?" Naruto whispered harshly, blushing in embarrassment as a few students passing by snickered at what had just happened.

Sasuke frowned. "What's wrong? I'm just saying good…"

"With a kiss in public?" came the accusatory tone. "I don't mind us doing it in private, but not out here with everyone watching, goddamn it!"

Sasuke's scowl deepened. "So it's okay for you to tease me and give everyone some hint that we might be a couple, and I refer to what you said the other day in the dojo about 'thanking me properly later' and now you think it's a bad thing to give you a kiss in public?"

Naruto rubbed a hand across his forehead. "Look, Sasuke…"

"Never mind, Naruto. I get it. See you tomorrow."

_Shit._ "Sasuke, I'm not…"

"NARUTO!" came the sudden bellow that had the blond turning around quickly to see who the culprit was. Chouji was huffing and puffing towards him with Shikamaru strolling nonchalantly behind. Torn between the two sides, Naruto glanced back at Sasuke and cursed beneath his breath as the dark-haired boy was already gone from sight.

"You're running late," Chouji panted as he stopped to catch his breath. "The game is about to start, man."

"Yeah…" Naruto mumbled as he joined his friends to make their way to the soccer field behind the school.

"Boyfriend troubles?" Shikamaru asked with a light smirk, raising his hands in surrender at the cold look that was given in response. "Ouch. Sorry for asking."

_Boyfriend troubles?_ came the worrisome thoughts. _Is that really what we are now? Christ!_

The stadium was filled to capacity, but Chouji had been able to get good seats for them nearly close to the field. A giant bag of snacks had been placed to hold the spot, and Chouji moved it out of the way so they could sit. The crowd was loud and boisterous, horns and trumpets blaring as the students (and some parents) tried to show their support for their favorite team. Their opponent today was Iwata High – a school that was consistently ranked top five in the nation when it came to their sports teams. They were dressed in blue jerseys and white shorts, while Konoha was in the familiar green and red jerseys and dark green shorts. It must have been an important game, because even Tsunade-sama, the principal, was a part of the special V.I.P section.

Naruto scanned the field in search of Kiba's familiar features and wasn't disappointed as the players were introduced, and Kiba took his place among his teammates. He had been designated the number 11, and he looked up at the sudden scream of his name, blushing darkly as he noticed Naruto, Shikamaru and Chouji all cheering as loud as they could for him.

"His sister and mom's here too," Shikamaru said, nudging Naruto and forcing him to look behind and into the upper deck seats where he could spot the loud women with Akamaru perched on the younger's head, yelling at the top of their lungs for their boy to do his best. Naruto laughed softly, sure that Kiba was dying with embarrassment out there.

For the next hour and a half, they cheered and booed and went through the normal ups and downs that were involved in live sporting events, and at the end of the day, Konoha won by only one goal. Kiba had three assists, and even though his lone attempt at scoring had failed, he had still played like a pro and Naruto was damn proud of his friend.

_If he's still my friend that is…_

Since their argument at lunch that day, conversation between the two had been stilted to say the least. Naruto had tried to engage Kiba in friendly banter, whenever they did see each other, but Kiba was either quiet or didn't respond much.

After the game, he, Shikamaru and Chouji waited by the clubhouse, watching as the other players filed out of the building.

"Got any smokes, man?" Chouji asked, blinking in bemusement as Naruto shook his head.

"He's quit," Shikamaru replied through the dull rings of smoke that escaped his stick. "Didn't you notice all this time?"

"Really?" Chouji looked wide-eyed. "How the hell…and why the hell did you decide to go cold turkey?"

"Let's just call it a miracle," Naruto muttered and pushed himself away from the wall as Kiba finally made an appearance. They waited for him to say goodbye to his teammates, before he noticed the trio and walked towards them with a sheepish look on his visage.

"Oooh, the soccer star," Shikamaru teased, reaching out to give the other boy a firm handshake. "Congrats, man. You did great."

"Not that great," Kiba mumbled. "I didn't even score a goal."

"Three assists is no joke, bro," Chouji replied with a laugh. "If those douchebags had been paying attention, we'd have won the game by more than one measly goal!"

The light banter continued for a while as they walked towards the parking lot, Naruto not saying much as Kiba seemed determined to act as if he didn't exist. However,

"Oh, shit."

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asked as Kiba patted himself down and then shook his backpack with frantic movements. "I forgot my keys back in the locker room I think. I've gotta go get it…Naruto, wanna come with me?"

Naruto, surprised at the sudden request, could only nod in response. "Eh…sure, why not?"

"Great. Thanks, guys. We'll catch you later," Kiba said, waving to his friends as he began to lead the way back to the clubhouse area. Neither boy said anything until Kiba came to a sudden stop beside the building, now away from Shikamaru and Chouji's sight.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," he said quietly, finally turning around to stare into the blond's shocked visage. Kiba gave a deep sigh and scratched his head gently. "Look, I know I've been a dick to you the past few days…and I'm sorry, okay? It was all my fault to begin with and I just didn't want us to keep drifting apart…like this. So…let's try this again, eh? Truce?"

_Kiba…_

Naruto lowered his gaze, aware of how much it must have taken for the proud boy to finally admit his mistakes, and so as to diffuse the tension between them, Naruto huffed and rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Of course, it's all your fault, dipshit. About time you apologized for acting like such a prick. You're lucky I'm in a good mood or I would have kicked your ass."

Kiba, who had definitely not been expecting this comeback, looked relieved yet embarrassed at the mock chiding. "Shut the fuck up, dickwad. You wish you could kick my ass," he finally mumbled and then gasped as Naruto grabbed him in a chokehold, trying to wrestle him to the ground. He laughed and dropped his backpack, reciprocating the gesture, feeling more than thankful that things just might get back to normal between them again. The part of him that still liked Naruto (in that way) wasn't going to go away anytime soon, but at least he could wish for his friend's happiness. And if it turned out to be with that stuck-up, prissy boy, Sasuke…then so be it.

"Oh, great," came Shikamaru's amused voice as he and Chouji eventually showed up. "I knew it. We leave you two alone for one minute and you end up wanting to kill each other. Typical."

"Blame, Kiba," Naruto said around a snicker as he finally released the other boy. "Hey! First person to the goal post at the other end gets to have everyone buy him dinner tonight."

And before giving anyone else a chance to begin, Naruto dashed off across the field, hotly pursued by his friends, who cursed him aloud for being a 'goddamn cheater!'

Their happy laughter echoed across the nearly empty stadium, and for Naruto, experiencing the camaraderie and companionship of his three best friends again, meant all the world to him.

* * *

The lines seemed to dance and jump across the page, and Sasuke cursed as he closed his eyes, willing himself to concentrate on his assignment. However, Naruto's painful rejection of his public display of affection was still bugging the hell out of him. He couldn't understand it. He had thought Naruto would be more receptive to their relationship and yet the blond kept acting as if he had the crabs just by acting on his stupid spontaneous emotion.

_Didn't you know he was going to act like this anyway? Keep it up, Sasuke and you'll definitely end up pushing him away completely. _

"Urgh." Giving up on studying for now, Sasuke left the desk and paced to his T.V, hoping a quick game would ease the tension. However, a light knock on the door had him looking up and into the familiar pale features of his unexpected guest.

_Oh, great. Now what?_

"May I come in?" came the soft question.

"You're already half-way in, Sai," Sasuke replied as he turned back to the screen. "Come to blame me for something else again?"

"I came to apologize," Sai answered, closing the door behind him gently. He stood, hesitant and unsure by the door, aware that he had even taken a risk in showing up tonight. Sasuke was probably still pissed off at him, but Sai had to do this…to get some closure…of sorts. "I wanted…"

"You already apologized in school," Sasuke stated flatly. "There's nothing else to say, is there? The tournament will begin in a few days, and you won't have to keep doing anything for me, since that's turning out to be a pain in the ass…"

"I like doing things for you," Sai said quickly. "I just…I just…"

"Sai."

"Sasuke I…"

"I don't love you, Sai. I _can't_ love you, and I really am sorry about that. You're a great guy, when you're not too busy thinking the whole motherfucking world is against you, and I'm sure there's some other guy who's ten times better than I am or could ever be. I really am not worth all the affection you're trying to shower on me." All this was said with his gaze still trained on the T.V. screen…more to help ease the uncomfortable direction the conversation was going.

"You said it yourself, Sai," Sasuke continued, now in a much gentler tone as if trying to soothe his harsh words earlier. "I can be a cold, heartless bastard. I sometimes think and do things without even being concerned about the other person or what repercussions might occur, and yet, you stuck with me. That, in itself, is a testament to how strong you really are…"

"…or how foolish I am," Sai muttered.

"That too," Sasuke said with a small smile hidden from the other boy's view. "Either way, I don't deserve you, and I really do think if you opened your eyes a bit, you'll see that there are a few other guys in school who would love to have you as a partner."

Sai remained quiet, trying to digest everything he had been told. However, his astute nature had noticed that even though Sasuke had spoken so matter-of-factly, there was an underlying tone of sadness or frustration (or both), that couldn't be missed. Deciding to take the plunge, Sai asked quietly,

"You find yourself in my position now, don't you, Sasuke? In love with a boy who might or might not feel the same way, hmm?"

Sasuke stiffened but said nothing, and Sai saw this as an opportunity to dig in further.

"Will you eventually give up, Sasuke? Turn away and allow him to find someone else who will be better for him? Is he really worth all the pain he's putting you through? Don't you think it's better to just forget about the whole thing? Ah, what's that saying again?" He snapped his fingers as if suddenly remembering. "If you love someone, set him free, if he comes back to you…it's meant to be."

"Bull shit," Sasuke interjected, even as the spools of doubt began to unravel in his mind. What if Sai was right? What if this whole thing wasn't really meant to be and all he had been doing was forcing the issue with Naruto? It had started that way from the beginning, hadn't it? He had forced his intentions on the boy and had worked hard to woo him from there. Naruto's gradual response and acceptance should have him jumping over the moon by now, and yet that subtle rejection at the public kiss still hurt like hell.

"Although I've lost this fight," Sai was saying, "I truly do wish for your happiness, Sasuke. Even if it isn't with me…at least with someone who really does care about you and wants the best for you…..and if that person turns out to be Naruto then…" He took a deep breath and forced himself to say it. "I wish you both the best. I'll…I'll let myself out."

Sasuke turned around just in time to see the door closing quietly behind Sai. He sagged back against the couch and closed his eyes.

_Set him free, huh? Gah. _

* * *

This was definitely going to be harder than he thought.

By Wednesday evening, Naruto was so nervous and excited, he could hardly think straight. The venue for the tournament this year had been moved to Osaka – miles away from Tokyo. The fighters would leave tomorrow morning by plane and from Friday to Sunday, the tournament would take place in the historical arena reserved for the annual event.

The pep rally, hosted by the school, had been an amazing experience. It seemed as if the entire stadium was jam packed with not only students, but parents and teachers who wanted to see off the six fighters and their teacher. For Naruto, it had been a surreal time, and it had taken all of his strength not to get too emotional as all the students, even those who had mocked and made fun of him, cheered his name the loudest when they were introduced. Shikamaru, Chouji and Kiba had made the most noise, as expected and even Jiraiya and Ms. Fuyutsuki had turned up to show their support.

However, it was Tsunade-sama's heartfelt speech that had done the trick, forcing Naruto to lower his gaze to hold back the tears.

"I'm so proud of you," she had whispered in his ear as she met with each fighter to either give them a handshake or a hug. In his case, the hug had surprised the hell out of him, for he never really thought the woman cared that much for him. She pulled back with tears in her eyes, causing him to squirm in embarrassment. "Make Konoha proud, Naruto."

"You bet," he murmured, not trusting himself to say anything else or he was sure he'd bawl like a baby.

Girls, who would have otherwise not given him the time of day, ran up to him to place kisses on his cheeks and to give him flowers. Sasuke got the worst of it as his heartthrob status was yet to be diminished. However, Naruto gloated at all the cards and candy received, ignoring the jealous wails from his friends as he bragged about them. Even some guys, who had secretly always been jealous of Naruto's 'coolness', had to give the guy his props for being a part of the team.

All in all, it had been one hell of a day, which was coming to a climatic conclusion as they had all been invited for a night out by Kakashi and his girlfriend, Anko, to a local well-known eatery where a booth had been reserved for them. Naruto invited Amaru, who was all too willing to be his date for the night. Karin and Suigetsu brought each other. Juugo came with his latest beau, a shy pretty girl from Class 3-2 – whose name Naruto couldn't remember. Sai came solo, and to everyone's surprise, especially Naruto's, Sasuke walked in with Haruno Sakura draped on his arm.

_Since when? _Naruto thought wildly, even though he masked his shock by engaging in a chopstick battle with Suigetsu over the meat cooking before them. He tried to ignore the dull coil, of what he recognized as jealousy, within the pit of his stomach as he watched Sakura laugh and lean into their captain every time a joke or something funny was said.

Sasuke wasn't helping matters much by acting like a gentleman towards her. He'd refill her cup, offer to make more _okonomiyaki_ or simply lean into her as if she was the most interesting thing in the whole world. Naruto wondered if his rejection of the kiss had turned Sasuke straight again. Although he had to wonder why that little event would cause this much of a change. Sasuke hadn't really made any overt moves towards him since that day either. Oh, they still talked, and practiced (that couldn't be helped), but the heated glances were no longer there. Sasuke hadn't asked to be taken home, or even invited Naruto as he usually did.

_I guess…he's over me…_

Naruto bit his lower lip in thought, wondering why the hell he wasn't feeling too thrilled about the whole thing. If Sasuke was no longer interested in him sexually…that was a good thing, wasn't it?

"Ahem! May I have your attention please?"

The teenagers looked up and into the slightly flushed visage of their teacher (who must have been drinking one too many cups of _sake_), and forced themselves to pay attention.

"For the past two months, we've worked hard to get to this point and I couldn't be any prouder of you talented and amazing fighters. So…" He raised his cup. "Here's to a great tournament, Team Taka. Let's get there and kick some butt, eh?"

"YEAH!" came the resounding cheers from the table's occupants. Naruto cheered the loudest, only to glance towards Sasuke as if on cue, the back of his neck prickling in awareness. For a brief moment, that familiar surge of heat raced through his body as he met those dark eyes, but the moment was all too brief, for Sakura suddenly cupped Sasuke's face to plant a big, hard kiss on his lips.

"Me too!" Amaru cried out and before Naruto could think, he too found himself trapped in an unwelcome kiss. However, remembering Sasuke's actions with Sakura all evening had him switching gears, and with a low growl, he wrapped his arms around Amaru's waist, dipping her and intensifying the kiss much to the rest of the table's amusement.

"Get a room!" someone cried out in between happy laughter.

"Or a condom!" someone else yelled just as Naruto released the blushing girl to bow as if he had just performed the greatest act of his life.

To his chagrin, Sasuke wasn't even looking at him, if anything the other boy seemed more preoccupied with Sakura as they looked through the menu to order something else.

_Bastard!_

Naruto forced himself to smile and pay attention to Amaru the rest of the evening. However, if he had been paying more attention to his teammate, he might have noticed the death grip Sasuke had on the menu, or the tightened lips as he forced himself to listen to Sakura's squeals of delight.

By the time dinner was over, more than a few of them had consumed one too many cups of _sake_. Naruto, who had dozed off, lifted his lashes to gaze around him with bleary eyes. Amaru was passed out on his lap. Suigetsu and Karin were in similar states of comatose. Sakura was snoring lightly, her head upon Anko's lap. While Sai seemed to be snuggled next to Kakashi…Naruto didn't even want to know. Juugo and his girl must have long gone, because they were nowhere in sight. As for Sasuke…

_Probably gone home too,_ Naruto thought as he extricated himself carefully from Amaru. He needed to pee.

Half stumbling into the restroom, he barely registered the other occupant as he walked to a stall and pulled down his zipper. Eyes still half-closed, he let go of his full bladder with a sigh of relief, only to stiffen at the voice that jarred through this mushy mind.

"Enjoy the evening with your girl?"

Naruto's lashes lifted fully and he turned his head to see who was talking to him. Sasuke was about two stalls down, a scowl on his features as he shook himself then zipped up, apparently done with his toilet.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Naruto quipped, turning away as he heard the water running while Sasuke washed his hands.

"I had fun."

"Good. I'm happy for you." Naruto zipped up with barely controlled irritation, wondering why the hell he was even getting upset. It wasn't as if he and Sasuke were indebted to each other in the relationship department. But geez, to think that the bastard had made him … well…more aware of how good it could be with guys, only to ditch him for…_Sakura_ of all people! Goddamn him!

"I didn't know you and Sakura were now an item," he said with false gaiety, as he turned on the tap to wash his hands. He could feel Sasuke watching him, but he refused to look up.

"I didn't know you and Amaru were getting hot and heavier."

"Well, I don't think it's any of your goddamn business if I go out with Amaru or not. Besides, and I quote, if you wanted anyone to go out with her, it would be me, correct? Wish granted."

"So you don't mind if I start dating Sakura, correct?"

_I do mind, you bastard!_ "Why should I care? If you like the girl, go for it."

"Okay."

Naruto blinked as Sasuke turned to walk away. That was it? _Okay?_ After all the emotional wringer Sasuke had put him through? All he could say was…

"_Okay?"_

Sasuke stopped and glanced over his shoulder with a bemused look. "What's wrong now? You've got your girl and I've got…urgh!"

He barely caught the fist heading for his face, and reached out to block the second one coming for him. He stared into the furious blue eyes and felt a flicker of pleasure at the reaction.

"What's the matter, Naruto?" he asked softly, trying not to smirk. "Jealous?"

"You wish," came the low growl. He tried to attack again, but Sasuke was too fast for him. Naruto found himself shoved hard against the cool tiles of the restroom, and his lips claimed in a hard and bruising kiss that took his breath away. His entire body seemed to go up in flames as their fists became hands simply entwined and holding on to each other for dear life. Naruto's lashes fluttered closed as he eventually gave in and responded in kind, parting his thighs to give Sasuke access to the straining bulge in his pants. God, how he missed this….this animal reaction to Sasuke every time they let go of their pretenses and gave in to their lust.

"Fuck you," Sasuke breathed into his mouth as he finally pulled away to get some much needed air. "Goddamn you, Naruto for making me feel like this. I want to hate you, hate you…mmphff!"

Naruto had silenced him with another hard kiss, this time spinning them around to press Sasuke against the wall and to maul his mouth as he had been doing earlier. His hands slid down to Sasuke's chest, finding and caressing the aroused nipples that poked through his t-shirt. Sasuke's gasp was lost within their fevered kiss, his entire being trembling as Naruto pinched and pulled the tight nubs relentlessly. He wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck and gave in completely, no longer caring if they went all the way in here. He was dying…his whole being was in tune with Naruto's…he loved the bastard, loved him so damn much it…

"Ooh oh, sorry, didn't realize it was occupied," came the sudden interruption that had both boys pulling apart with guilt and embarrassment on their flushed faces.

The smiling man waved a hand. "Don't mind me. You two just keep on doing what you're doing."

"Eh…no…thanks," Naruto mumbled, before dragging Sasuke out of the room and into the narrow lobby that led to the main restaurant. For a while, neither boy said anything for they knew just how close they had come to letting it all go in there.

"Your hair's messy," Naruto finally said, as he noticed the tousled black hair, no thanks to his roaming hands.

"Well you look like you've been thoroughly kissed," came the smug comeback, which brought a flush to Naruto's cheeks. Sasuke sighed suddenly and ran fingers through his hair to regain some semblance of normalcy to it…which was hard in a way, considering the way the back of it seemed to stand on end anyway.

"Were you trying to make me jealous?" Sasuke asked, "Because if you were, it worked like a charm, you heartless prick."

"Look who's talking," Naruto muttered, unable to look at the other boy as he admitted this. "I don't know why you brought Sakura here. I thought you didn't really like her."

"Why don't you just admit it?" Sasuke growled.

"Admit what?"

"That you're falling for me, you moron. What else?"

Naruto could feel his cheeks flaming as he tried to glare at Sasuke. "I don't…I'm not falling…"

"But you were jealous…"

"So?"

"Why should you care if you aren't falling for me? Shouldn't you be happy I'm not eager to jump into your pants anymore?"

"So…you don't want to have sex with me anymore?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes in disbelief. "After what just happened in the restroom, how can you even ask that?"

"I guess…"

"You guess what?"

Naruto lifted his hands in defeat. "All right, all right, you turn me on, okay? I can't stop fucking thinking about you, and I like the way you touch me and…and…"

Sasuke tried to hide his smile. "And you're falling for me…aren't you?" he asked quietly, heart beating hard as he hoped Naruto would finally admit what he hoped to be true.

Naruto covered his face with a hand and squeezed his eyes shut, mind racing with the enormity of what he was about to admit. Could it be he was actually _in love_ with Sasuke? It was weird to realize such a thing, but what the hell? If this emotional rollercoaster was in anyway related to what love was supposed to be…then he guessed… he really was. With his heart pounding, and his mouth suddenly feeling dry, he lowered his hand and opened his eyes, ready to say what he hoped would sound flippant, only to find himself staring into accusing eyes that definitely didn't belong to Sasuke.

"Amaru!"

"You left me there," came the whine as she threw herself against him. "I woke up and you were gone. I was so scared."

On autopilot, he wrapped his arms around her, looking over her head and at Sasuke, who only gave a small smile before turning away. They both knew the moment was gone, and Naruto had to wonder if such an opportunity would present itself again. Maybe then, they could finally get this damn thing right once and for all.

* * *

"Holy Shit! It looks much bigger in person!" Suigetsu cried out as the bus made its way around the towering dome where the 85th Annual Martial Arts tournament was to be held. He and Naruto's faces were pressed against the window, both oohing and aahing at the impressive architecture. Colorful posters and signs announcing the tournament surrounded the building, and a few tourists stood on the grand steps, taking pictures beside the enormous statues of two lions that flanked the doors leading into the auditorium.

Karin was too busy taking pictures, pouting as Kakashi had announced that they wouldn't be stopping anytime soon. They had to go to the hotel first to get their room assignments.

Sasuke, who had slept through the flight and was now blocking all noise thanks to his headphones, was actually lost in thought as he pretended to read through the magazine provided on the plane. He had barely slept last night, his nerves wracked from the excitement of the tournament as well as Naruto's almost-confession at the restaurant. If only Amaru hadn't shown up at the last minute, perhaps by now he would have gotten that elusive admittance of love he had been looking for.

It didn't help that this morning Naruto had acted as if nothing had happened last night, and was back to his normal friendly self. What had he been expecting anyway? That Naruto would pull him into his arms and profess his undying love in front of everyone? Sasuke hadn't forgotten that the blond was still jittery about public displays of their relationship, so that was a ship yet to be sailed.

"Home sweet home!" Kakashi announced loud enough to break Sasuke's concentration. They piled out of the bus and looked at the towering hotel before them.

"Impressive," Naruto gushed as he began to lead the way into the building. "Make way for Konoha High! The best fighters ever!" he broadcasted in a loud voice, earning an inner groan from Kakashi and a muttered curse from Sasuke as several students from other schools looked to the group entering the lobby – some with amusement on their faces, others with obvious loathing.

Sasuke noticed them first, or to be exact, the short red-haired boy with the distinct tattoo etched on his forehead, surrounded by his teammates as they waited in line to be checked in. With his arms folded across his chest, Gaara looked bored with the whole affair, although a flicker of emotion filled his eyes as he caught Sasuke's brief gaze. Konoha's captain gave a small polite bow of acknowledgement, which was reciprocated. He turned back to face his team, only to feel the piercing gaze of someone trained on him. Glancing to his left, he finally noticed the group all dressed in black cloaks which made them stand out in the crowded room.

_Akatsuki._

He could feel his body pulse with adrenaline, his hands clenching into tight fists as he took in the amused or cold gazes that came his way. It wasn't until he caught Kisame's eyes that Sasuke's fury bubbled within. Kisame was the one responsible for what had happened to Naruto. Kisame had tried to cheat before the tournament by thinking he could take down one of their fighters without getting caught. A grim smile of pleasure came to Sasuke's lips as he noticed the barely noticeable look of surprise that flitted across the big guy's face when Naruto was noticed – the very loud, boisterous and quite healthy, Naruto that is.

_Thought you had gotten rid of him, eh?_ Sasuke thought as Kisame caught his gaze again. He smirked and then raised his middle finger in salute, almost laughing at the scowl this produced. _It's time to make you pay, asshole. I'll make you feel his pain…twice as much._


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes:**I am a big **Dragonball **fan (not really so much Z anymore), and I drew inspiration for the tournament in this story from the _Tenkaichi Budokai_. I deliberately used the term 'ki' instead of 'chakra', even though both are basically the same thing. Also, please note that there will be no real use of any fantabulous jutsus normally seen in the Naruto fandom. These characters are supposed to be as 'real' as possible, so the fighters will only have the ability to convert their ki into 'weapons' of choice (all this will make sense, hopefully, as you read along). Last but not least, the Pein in this story is the Pein that was relatively 'normal' before he looked all skinny and scrawny later on. Hopefully, I haven't spoiled anything for those folks who aren't keeping up with the manga. If so…eh…sowwy?

And I think that's all for now…so…enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen:**

"Didn't you say you took care of Uzumaki Naruto?" Deidara hissed beneath his breath as they watched the blond making a jackass of himself by meeting up with other teams and shaking their hands profusely with enthusiasm.

Kisame, who was still stewing over Sasuke's blatant insult, bristled at Deidara's accusatory tone. "Of course I did. You saw how he reacted afterwards. It was supposed to have spread -"

"Well it didn't work," Konan interrupted coldly. "No matter. It's a good thing he's fine now. They would have reported us and we wouldn't be here today. We can't afford to let our guard down or make any more foolish mistakes."

"Let's go," Sasori said quietly, leading the way to the elevators. "We're on the fifth floor…"

"Hellooooo, Akat-su-ki-_chan_!" came the sudden loud greeting that had the members of said team shivering as everyone in the lobby now seemed to be gawking at them. Damn that blond loudmouth!

Naruto looked like he was smiling as he approached, followed by an amused Suigetsu who wouldn't have missed an opportunity to rag on an 'enemy' when given the chance. However, on closer inspection, Naruto's smile was tight and one could tell he was putting up a great act of cheerfulness. His eyes, which had been closed with the intensity of his supposed joy at seeing the team, opened to reveal a gaze that was cold yet furious – the latter emotion was intensified as he looked at Kisame.

"Well, who knew we'd be in the same hotel," Naruto began in a conversational tone.

"All teams stay in the same hotel, you buffoon," Deidara retorted, his knuckles white as he tightened his grip on his overnight bag. "Don't you know anything?"

"Oh, I know something all right," Naruto continued, his voice now quiet and low as he took a step closer to the group. "I know that you jerk offs tried to get me out of this tournament with that stunt you pulled, Kisame. It's a pity I feel great…no…_better_ than ever, and I'm going to make you pay if it's the last thing I do."

"Wonderful," Konan replied with a small smile, while stepping between the two boys before the situation escalated. "Reserve your anger until the tournament begins, Naruto. You'll have plenty of opportunity to show them a thing or two, eh? Come on, boys. Let's go."

Naruto grit his teeth as he watched them walk away, but not before 'guy-with-no-face' (Pein actually) looked over his shoulder with a small smile as if apologizing on their behalf.

"What the hell did Kisame do to you?" Suigetsu asked, glancing at Naruto's irritated countenance. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Naruto muttered, not really wanted to share the details with anyone else. "Let's go…whoa! He's here!"

"Who's…hey!"

Naruto had shoved Suigetsu out of the way as he dashed towards the new group of fighters entering the lobby. At the forefront was a dark-skinned boy with blond spiky hair and a lollipop stuck within his mouth. He seemed to be arguing with a girl that looked like his sister, but stopped long enough as something flew towards him with a speed he was barely able to control. The impending collision sent them crashing to the floor in a heap.

"What the fuck…?" he began with an angry growl, only to blink at the grinning face above him. His scowl turned into a matching grin as he yelled in pleasure. "BROTHER!"

"BROTHER!" Naruto screamed as well, and before long, both boys were engaged in what could only be described as a weird exhibition of mock wrestling/hugging.

"I didn't know Naruto had a brother," Karin mused as she walked up to Suigetsu.

"That's Team Cloud," Suigetsu explained. "Remember when Naruto said he knew one of them? Probably the guy he's dry humping at the moment."

Sasuke, who was in the process of signing in the team at the front desk, glanced over his shoulder at the commotion. He really needed to have a talk with Naruto about behaving himself and curbing his overzealous enthusiasm. It was embarrassing.

"Naruto has a brother?" Kakashi asked in bemusement.

"Brothers from different parents," Sasuke mumbled, finally done with the protocol and accepting the keys from the lady behind the counter. "All right everyone, let's -"

"Hey, hey!" Naruto interrupted as he walked up to his teammates, an arm around Omoi's shoulders. "Hey guys, this is Omoi – the one I was telling you about. I knew him when we were kids."

"He's my brother from another mother," Omoi replied with a grin. "Pity I'm going to have to kick your ass the first time I get to see you after so long."

Naruto laughed. "You wish you could beat me. When was the last time you even put a scratch on me, eh?" He began to nudge the other boy playfully, when the cold and loud voice interrupted their antics.

"Stop fucking around, Omoi. We've got to sign in."

All eyes turned to the tall blonde female who seemed to be the leader of the group. With arms folded across her chest, and wearing their school's uniform, which consisted of a short red plaid pleated skirt, white dress shirt and a red necktie, she looked formidable.

"Who's the chick?" Naruto whispered into Omoi's ear.

"Yugito the beeeeyotch," Omoi replied in a sing-song voice, pouting as he was forced to leave his friend's presence. "Dude, we have _got_ to catch up. What's your room number? I'll stop by later."

"Uumm…hold on a sec," Naruto turned to Sasuke. "What's our room number, Sasuke?"

Sasuke, who _didn't_ want to share their room number with anyone, pretended to read through the paper with a thoroughness that had Naruto huffing with impatience. "Never mind." He turned back to Omoi. "Just give me your cell phone number and I'll call you back…"

"Where's Kirabi?" Juugo asked quietly, noticing the boisterous fighter was nowhere in sight.

Karui, the dark-haired girl from Team Cloud, shrugged and dragged her carryall across the floor. "He ain't coming."

"Why not?" Sai asked. He had been quiet all this time, choosing to spend his time observing his surroundings for a series of sketches he planned to work on later.

"The idiot is too busy working on his CD and says he has to promote his style or whatever the shit he blabbed about the other night," Samui replied. Dressed in the school uniform as well, which barely held in her well-endowed bosom, she was as tall as Yugito and for some reason, Naruto had the feeling that she and Yugito might be partners…in every sense of the word. They just screamed dyke mates to him.

"Wow…so only you four, eh?" Naruto said aloud.

"We four are more than enough," Omoi bragged, thumbing his nose in confidence. "These teams don't look that strong. We'll take 'em out in no time."

"That's fantastic," Sasuke grumbled, getting impatient with all the chumminess while dealing with his pangs of hunger. "There's plenty of time to catch up, but for the meantime, we have to go to our rooms." Hardly waiting for anyone else to follow, he began to lead the way to the elevators.

"What's his problem?" Omoi asked with a raised brow.

Naruto pursed his lips in thought as he looked after his striding team captain, not willing to assume that Sasuke was still upset over what had almost happened last night. His decision to wake up today, acting as if nothing that intense had taken place, was only his way of trying to deal with the conflicting emotions that raced within him. Besides, thinking about love and relationships should be the least of their worries now. They had fights coming up with potential strong opponents and no time to focus on their personal struggles.

"He's just hungry," Naruto finally replied with a smile. "If he doesn't eat after a while, he gets grouchy."

"Reminds me of someone," Omoi said laughing and faltering as Yugito spared him another icy look of warning. "Gah! Gotta run, brother. I'll see you later, okay?"

Naruto waved and dashed after his disappearing team. He barely made it into the elevator before the doors closed, noticing Sasuke leaning against the wood panels at the back, and shoving his way through the packed space to get to him.

"Nice reunion," Sasuke mumbled as the elevator began its journey up, not sparing Naruto a glance, even though his traitorous body tingled with awareness as the blond was pressed tightly against him.

"Yeah, it was actually," Naruto admitted, eyeing the group of people stuck in the elevator with them besides his teammate. Juugo was crushed at his side, and before him stood Sai and Karin with Suigetsu ahead of them. Kakashi was buried within a book Jiraiya had written, much to Naruto's perplexities, and the rest seemed to be made up of five other students and their teacher, wearing uniforms he did not recognize…

"Ouch," he hissed, eyeing Sasuke who was still pretending as if he didn't exist. "Did you just pinch my butt?" came the harsh whisper even though his face had turned a bright beet red.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke drawled, trying to hide his amusement.

Naruto caught his lower lip between his teeth and tried to glare, only to gasp as this time, it was a gentle caress and then another hard squeeze of his derriere. "Sasuke!"

The dull ping of the elevator was heard and it opened to allow the other school team out on the third floor. Just when they thought they'd have more room to breathe, another set of people squeezed themselves into the tiny space, forcing Naruto to be pressed even tighter between Sasuke and Juugo.

"Jesus! I'm going to die here," he wheezed. "What's our floor, Sasuke?"

"The sixth."

"Oh, shit."

_Breathe. Just breathe. Just ignore the fact that Sasuke is still doing what he's doing and I'm getting a boner and I swear if Karin presses any closer to me…I don't want harassment charges on my head and…oh, shit._

His lashes fluttered closed as Sasuke grew bolder with his caresses. Naruto's breathing was getting shallow and he sincerely hoped that no one would notice how hot he felt or the tiny beads of sweat breaking out on his brow as he struggled to control himself. However, it was the sudden sensation of Sasuke's teeth against his earlobe and the warm breath that caressed his flesh, which had Naruto yelping in response before he could control himself.

"What's wrong?" Juugo asked, as the others turned (as much as they could) towards the blushing blond.

"No…nothing," Naruto replied breathlessly, while stomping Sasuke's foot gently in warning. Hearing the dark-haired boy's hiss of pain was enough for him. That would teach Sasuke to mindfuck him like this.

"Sixth floor! Finally," Suigetsu yelled as the doors opened to let them out. "Christ. I could barely breathe in there."

They tumbled out with their luggage into the plush corridor lined with extravagant bouquets of breathtaking flowers and gold-trimmed doors with numbers written on them.

"Room assignments," Kakashi announced with a flourish. "Lucky Karin, you get a room all by yourself. Room 2350."

The girl squealed in delight. "Awesome!"

"Hey, what gives?" Suigetsu argued. "How come…?"

"Because that's just the way things are. You, Sasuke and Naruto are in Room 2351."

"How come I get to share a room with those two? God knows they'll keep me up at night with their moans and…"

"Shut the fuck up, Suigetsu," Sasuke muttered while giving the boy a painful nudge on his ribs.

"As well as personal injuries," Suigetsu wheezed, holding his aching side.

"Deal with it," came his unrepentant teacher's comments. "The rest of us are in Room 2352. You have the rest of the afternoon to settle in…walk around the hotel or whatever. Eight o'clock is team meeting in my room. We have to discuss the format of the fights and any other information that needs to be known. Don't be late, and whatever you do, please don't start up an argument with any other team…"

"Oy, why are you looking at me?" Naruto huffed.

"Because I need you to keep your hot head together. Same goes for you Suigetsu."

The blue-haired boy gave a grin full of wicked intent, but saluted smartly all the same. "I'll be a good boy, sensei."

Their room was large, with three twin beds lined in a row against the soft pastel wallpaper décor. An expensive-looking watercolor, of wheat fields in summer, hung above the beds. In between were small nightstands with lamps that looked like something plucked out of the halls of Buckingham Palace. The cream-colored carpet felt plush beneath their bare feet, and as Sasuke pushed aside the thick maroon curtains, it revealed sliding doors which led to a patio with even more beautiful bouquets and a great view of the city below. There was a leather couch and a comfy-looking armchair, a large plasma T.V and a fridge with snacks stacked to the fullest for the hungry boys. Before long, they were lounging in the 'living-room' area and browsing through channels for something to watch. All too soon, empty packets of candy, cookies and plastic bottles littered their surroundings, and as Suigetsu gave a satisfied belch, he lay flat on his back on the floor and patted his full stomach.

"Mmm…we should order pizza for dinner."

"Maybe the cafeteria will have some," Naruto replied, guzzling down another can of soda. He was lying on the couch, while Sasuke was curled up on the armchair with his eyes closed as if fast asleep.

"I wonder if we can order room service…"

"The bill is gonna cost us…the school…" Sasuke mumbled.

"The school can afford it," Suigetsu argued. "Small price to pay for the bodily injuries ahead."

Naruto chuckled and tossed the empty can towards the small trash can in the corner. "Score," he whispered as it fell in neatly. "Say, Suigetsu…"

"Hmm?" came the lazy response. The boy was beginning to feel sleepy.

"How come I never hear about your family? No brothers or sisters or…?"

Suigetsu made a sound that was between exasperation and a snort. "Dude, I live on my own. I don't have any parents or brothers or sisters or whatever."

Naruto turned his head a little to look at the other boy still lying on the floor with his eyes now closed. "Really? How…?"

"I dunno how they died or even if they did die," Suigetsu replied. "I grew up in the foster system. Moving from family to family until I turned sixteen and could live on my own. Been saving up money from doing odd jobs here and there , so I can survive. I got a scholarship to the school, if you're going to ask how I can afford the fees. Any other questions?"

"You're pretty strong," Naruto said quietly, as he placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "And I don't mean the fighting part. I won't ask if you've even bothered wanting to know about your parents…hell, I'd be dying to know if they actually died or…" His voice trailed off, but Suigetsu finished for him.

"Abandoned me? That wouldn't be a surprise. I wasn't a great kid growing up." The boy laughed. "I gave everyone hell, so maybe my parents knew I'd be a handful and didn't want me around. Who the fuck knows? Anyway, that's old news. I'm getting me some shut eye." He gave an exaggerated yawn and bounded to his feet. His companions didn't move from their positions, but could hear him flopping onto the bed like a log.

Sasuke, who was still pretending to be asleep, had actually been listening all this time. He lifted his lashes slowly, noticing that Suigetsu who was supposed to be sleeping, had only covered his head with a pillow. He met Naruto's eyes as the barely audible choked sob was heard, neither saying anything as they realized that for the first time, Suigetsu had finally revealed a part of a dark life, he would have rather kept secret. It was a side to their brash teammate they had never seen before, and both knew that what had been shared, was never to leave the four walls of their room.

* * *

It was the loud pounding on the door that roused the boys from their sleep.

"Hurry up," Karin snapped as she went around shaking them awake. "Geez. Look at the mess you guys have already made! And stop sleeping for God's sake! Meeting time!"

"Shit…already?" Sasuke stumbled to his feet, rubbing his eyes as he stretched and staggered out of the room with Naruto flopping on him like a rag doll. "I'm not carrying you, Naruto," he grumbled. "Walk by your…urgh." He barely caught his teammate, who would have fallen flat on his face, and settled for dragging the blond into the room where the others were sitting on the floor before Kakashi.

"Someone pour some water on him," Suigetsu suggested, but Naruto sat up at the painful cuff on his head from Karin; grumbling as he settled between Sasuke and the couch.

"All right," Kakashi began as he unfolded a sheet of paper. "Just returned from the meeting with the tournament officials and here's the way things are gonna go. Tomorrow, we have preliminary rounds – all schools will fight to decide who the final eight will be for the semi-finals on Saturday. There will be three matches each – two match wins decides who goes to the next round. Third match is the tie-breaker…if it comes to that. For the preliminaries, we have only five minutes per match. More details about the rules will be given tomorrow when you get to the arena. Sasuke…open that carryall bag in the corner and bring out your uniforms."

Sasuke did as he was told. Even he hadn't seen the new gi they would wear. Previous tournament uniforms had been a simple white gi with the Konoha symbol on the back, but this time…

"Whoa, nice!" Naruto gushed as Sasuke returned with the clear plastic bags which had their names written on it. He accepted the two sets from their captain, all but ripping it open to reveal the black gi. The Konoha symbol was etched in gold trimming on the back, accented by a ring of orange (it looked red if you turned it in one direction) fire.

"Headbands too?" Karin blinked at the extra accessory. "Cool!"

"I feel like a ninja or something," Naruto said, laughing as he tied the ends of the black headband – again accented with the Konoha emblem on a steel-like plate that covered/protected his forehead – at the nape of his neck."

"Isn't it against the rules?" Sai asked quietly.

"No," came the simple reply. "It's part of our uniform and you can bet other schools will have something extra fancy with them too. Now, we can make use of the gym downstairs to train or do warm ups, but we risk other schools crowding the place. So…" He eyed the hotel room and gave a small nod. "I think this is large enough…just as long as you guys don't break anything. We'll push aside the furniture and make room. We'll repeat practice first thing tomorrow morning – nothing too strenuous…I don't need you getting tired before the tournament begins. Festivities begin at ten in the morning. We're to be in Arena II by nine-thirty. Any questions?"

"Who are we fighting first?" Juugo asked.

"That will be decided when you get there. You…or rather I get to pick from a box of numbers and whatever number we are given and who we match up with…is who we fight against. I have no control over how things turn out. As for the fighters…it's likely we'll pair up Karin with whatever female fighter the other school has, the rest I'll decide based on our opponents. Now, let's grab some food and get some work done tonight, okay?"

And more than eager to get started, the teens yelled in unison. "OKAY!"

* * *

Sasuke lifted his lashes, fighting the fatigue that still pleaded with him to remain in bed. However, he knew that today was the big day, and he'd have to get ready for their early morning practice even if it killed him. He stretched and flopped onto his back, staring blindly at the ceiling for a minute. He could hear Suigetsu snoring on his left, chuckling as he noticed the boy slept in the most weird way. The blanket and bed sheets were tousled with Suigetsu's feet on the pillows and his head at the other end.

Still smiling, Sasuke turned to his right to see if Naruto was still asleep, hoping he could indulge a fantasy of his even though they weren't exactly sharing the same bed. After their grueling practice last night, the trio had stumbled to their room in exhaustion, passing out before they could even think of changing. So much for that plan of teasing Naruto into submission once Suigetsu was asleep.

However, he did a double take as he noticed the bed was empty. It looked slept in, but its occupant was nowhere in sight. Assuming he was in the bathroom, Sasuke closed his eyes and waited, but frowned lightly as he heard nothing from that direction. Five more minutes went by, and now getting worried, Sasuke crept out of bed and padded towards the front door, only for a movement in his peripheral vision to grab his attention. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed the patio door had been left open a little. Walking silently towards it, he peeked out carefully, not sure of what to expect. His first random thought was that someone had sneaked into their room; however, noticing that it was only his elusive teammate, he relaxed a little and stepped out and into the cold morning air to join him.

"Did I wake you?" Naruto asked with an apologetic smile. He was leaning upon the railing, dressed in only a pair of gray sweatpants which hung low on his lean hips. Sasuke swallowed at the tantalizing tease of hidden promises and turned his gaze away, walking up to stand beside the blond.

"I woke up on my own…thought I'd get a head start before practice. Couldn't sleep?"

Naruto shrugged, eyeing the millions of lights that lit up Osaka at pre-dawn. It really was a beautiful sight. "I'm too excited I guess. This is my first time doing something like this and I don't know what to expect. How are you feeling?"

Sasuke gave a small smile as he stared at the city before him. "Excited too. I've been to a few other tournaments, but this is the biggest. I'd be a fool not to admit that I'm nervous too. Who knows what might happen."

He suffered a playful nudge from Naruto. "What's this? The great Uchiha Sasuke nervous?"

"Shut up," came the quiet rebuttal with no venom in it. "Unlike you, I've got something to prove to my father…and brother."

Naruto slid a glance at the other boy who had a thoughtful frown on his handsome features. He remembered how much Sasuke longed to escape his brother's looming shadow and his performance here would prove to his father that he wasn't always going to remain second fiddle.

"Are they coming?" Naruto asked softly.

"I don't know. My mother says she wants to come…my dad said he might show up if work allows him."

"Your brother?"

Sasuke seemed to stiffen. "I don't know. I haven't spoken to him in forever, Naruto. Why the fuck would he come?"

"Don't bite my head off. I'm just asking."

An uncomfortable silence fell for a minute, before Sasuke said quietly but firmly. "When we get to any round where we have to face Akatsuki, I want you to leave Kisame to me."

Naruto blinked. "Hell no, he's mine. After what he did to me, I'm not letting him go that easily."

"I'm the only one that can deal with his kind of fighting style, Naruto," Sasuke said calmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. He stared into the blazing blue eyes, hoping his desperation wouldn't be too evident. "If he fights you, he's likely to go for your heart again. You might have survived the first time, but I doubt you'll be so lucky the second time around. I can't risk that."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but was silenced as Sasuke moved to seize his lips in a hard kiss. He gasped as he was released all too soon, mind spinning, lips tingling and body thrumming with heat as Sasuke leaned his forehead against his to whisper thickly.

"I can't lose you, Naruto. Do you hear me? I won't let anyone hurt you again…ever."

"I can take care of myself," Naruto muttered, cheeks flaming at the intensity in the dark eyes before him. "I don't need…"

"Yes, you do," Sasuke interrupted with a small smile. "You keep acting so tough and I know that deep down, you need someone to really give a shit about you. Let me be that person, Naruto." He brushed the parted lips gently. "Please…"

The ache seemed to spread within and around his heart as Sasuke's earnest plea had him closing his eyes, trying desperately not to give in to the tears that threatened to break free. Why would Sasuke act so selfless for him? And why…_why_ did it feel like he could see himself with Sasuke for a while…no…a long time as someone more than just a friend? Why was this feeling so goddamn intense? So frightening that he couldn't…didn't want to deal with it just now?

_Because you are falling for him…or have already fallen, you big dolt. This must be what love is really all about after all._

"Naruto?"

"What?"

"What are you mumbling to yourself about?"

Naruto smiled and came to a sudden decision. He took a deep breath and stared into the bemused eyes before him. "Sasuke."

"Now what?" came the wary response.

"When this tournament is over…and we win…or don't win…"

"We'll win."

"Okay, after we win…I'll…I'll tell you how I really feel. Deal?"

Sasuke tried to ignore the skip of his heartbeat at the look on the other boy's face and tried to keep his cool. "Why can't you tell me now?"

Naruto wrapped his arms around his captain, burying his face against the strong neck. "Because I want to do it my own way, Sasuke." He placed a tender kiss on the pulsing flesh and took a step back, grinning at the look of irritation on the other boy's face.

"You better hurry! We don't have much time!" He dashed into the room before the other boy could say anything else, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, Naruto felt light on his feet … happier than he could ever remember…like he could take on the motherfucking world…

* * *

…or at least the room filled with what seemed like a gazillion fighters all dressed in their respective uniforms and looking even more daunting as they waited in the holding area before they were presented to the waiting audience/spectators.

"Damn," Suigetsu mused aloud as he took in a few of the other teams. "Maybe even the preliminaries are going to be a pain the ass. And is just me or are there more than twenty schools here?"

"There's thirty-two," Kakashi replied, causing the boy to gawk in surprise.

"Thirty-two? I thought there were only twenty!" He eyed Sai as he said this, but the artist looked unapologetic. His investigations had told him twenty, so…

"Twelve other schools were allowed to make it even," Kakashi explained patiently.

Naruto tried to do the math in his head. Thirty-two teams meant having to fight at least twice today…and then twice tomorrow to decide the two teams for the finals on Sunday. That wasn't too bad, all things considered. His gaze wandered around the bustling arena, taking note of some familiar faces and not so familiar ones.

Akatsuki were huddled in a group…well not really. Kisame was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Deidara was chatting at a mile a minute to a weary-looking Sasori, while Konan was sitting in a meditative position with Pein by her side. Their gi was black, not surprising, with a red patch that looked like a cloud, etched on the back. Team Sand, dressed in khaki-colored gi, sat in a circle not speaking to each other. While Team Cloud, dressed in white gi with two crossed swords etched on its back, were engaged in a lively argument – something about who had stolen the last bean cake from Karui's bag…even though she seemed to be solely blaming a flustered Omoi.

Naruto would have gone over to help his friend, but a sudden announcement had all the fighters looking towards the well-dressed man with the bullhorn who had just walked up to a makeshift stage.

"If I may have your attention please," he said, waving his hands about. "Congratulations, fighters! You elite few have made it to the 85th Annual Martial Arts tournament!" A smattering of applause broke out, and the man cleared his throat to continue. "Eh…so this is how things will go. You'll be called out by school and you're to walk into the main auditorium and stay in position…where the pretty ladies will be holding a placard with your school name on it. The grandmasters will give a little speech and then you'll all walk out and back into this room, and then you'll be ushered through those doors to Arena III where preliminary matches are to take place. There are five rings – so we can work through the fights quickly, you see. Eh…team leaders or captains will pick a number from a box by the door. When your numbers are called, you'll be assigned a ring and will battle the school you're up against. First school to two wins per match automatically advances until only 8 schools are left for the semi-final rounds tomorrow."

He took a deep breath and wiped his brow, before pausing as another important-looking man whispered something in his ear.

"Oh, right, before I forget. There are no weapons allowed in this tournament, neither can you kill your opponent. If any of these are noticed, you'll be disqualified. Any fighter that falls out of the ring, is also disqualified and the opponent automatically wins. In the case of a tie, even after a third and decisive match, judges will award the win based on points. All right, fighters, are you ready?"

"YEAH!" came the resounding cries from the excited participants.

Naruto wiped his sweaty palms on his pants legs and bounced up and down lightly to ease the nerves that were beginning to fill his stomach. He cracked his knuckles and took a deep breath as the match into the main auditorium began. School after school was called until the loud boom of 'KONOHA HIGH – TEAM TAKA!' was heard.

"That's us!" Suigetsu said with a wide grin as he lined up behind Sasuke. He was followed by Karin, then Naruto, Sai and Juugo with Kakashi bringing up the rear.

Naruto had thought the pep rally was a loud affair, but he almost went tone deaf as he stepped into the massive auditorium, the lights blinding as they shone over and around them as if at a discotheque. He had never seen so many people in one place in his life, and as Konoha took their position, he squinted into the crowd, hoping to see a familiar face or two.

"Tsunade-sama is here," Karin whispered, and Naruto looked towards the stage where the grandmasters and, he would guess, other principals from representing schools sat like overlords. Sure enough, the familiar blonde locks of their school's leader was proof that she was in the building. A few other teachers they knew had come as well.

"Looks like your uncle's here too," Suigetsu murmured, and Naruto's eyes widened as he looked into the crowd again. He felt something akin to pleasure and happiness well in his chest as he finally noticed that shock of white hair and the woman sitting beside him. He was even more stunned to see his three best friends as well as Amaru, Miho and Miyabi, all waving and cheering for him. None of them (well besides Amaru) had mentioned they'd be flying down here to watch him in person, and it meant the world to him to have such support.

_Sasuke…_

He glanced towards their silent captain just as the grandmaster began to launch into some speech about the spirit of the tournament etc. etc. Naruto could almost feel the tension that seemed to ooze out of the other boy, noticing that his gaze flitted between the speaker and the crowd. Naruto looked carefully and smiled to himself as he noticed the Uchiha family somewhere close to the front row. Fugaku looked impassive, his stern features giving nothing away. Mikoto, however, seemed more relaxed with a warm smile on her pretty features. Naruto would have turned away, only to notice the person sitting beside her. For a moment, he thought his eyes were deceiving him, but there could be no denying the presence of the young man sitting beside his mother. Besides the dark lines that seemed etched into his cheeks, Itachi could pass as a clone for his younger brother. Naruto had seen pictures of the older sibling during his few visits to the Uchiha household, but actually seeing him in the flesh was a whole other matter altogether. Itachi wasn't smiling, but he didn't look pissed off either. Like his father, there was a look of casual indifference, as if they were about to watch an everyday occurrence.

Naruto glanced towards Sasuke again, wondering what the other boy was thinking. He got his answer after they had been ushered out of the auditorium and back to the waiting arena where they were to be assigned numbers. Sasuke was quick to excuse himself, saying he had to go to the restroom. Naruto, feeling concerned at the brusque request, followed and was rewarded with the sounds of someone throwing up in one of the stalls as he dashed in moments later.

After a few minutes, Sasuke stumbled out, looking pale as he wiped his mouth with a hand that trembled. He stiffened as he noticed Naruto watching him, eyes narrowing for a moment as if annoyed that the blond had showed up. He eventually turned away and moved to the sink to clean up himself.

"So much for being the tough guy," Sasuke said, after a minute or two of tense silence, trying to sound as flippant as he could. However, his shaking voice betrayed his real emotional state and it was all it took for Naruto to realize that _he_ was the one _needed_ this time around. Without thinking twice about what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around the other boy's waist from behind, holding on tightly as if hoping to give Sasuke all the strength he needed from the simple act.

Sasuke sucked in a harsh breath at the unexpected gesture, his vision shimmering as he lowered his gaze. "Naruto…"

"It's okay, Sasuke," came the soft whisper of reassurance. "It's going to be okay. I promise."


	16. Chapter 16

**Kiya's Rambling Corner:**As someone whose been to quite a few martial arts tournaments, those things are hella crazy – both good and bad. There is organized chaos but when the actual fights begin, they are pretty damn cool to watch. You have to be focused and attentive to catch some unique techniques by the fighters and you learn quite a lot. So, if ever an opportunity presents itself, I definitely encourage you to attend a tournament or two.

Oh and there's a story to read by the way…enjoy! And thanks again for all the great feedback/comments!

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen:**

If Kakashi noticed that his team's captain looked pale, he said nothing about it. Neither did he try to evaluate the way Naruto seemed to hover around the dark-haired boy as if trying to protect him from something. Either way, they had a tournament to participate in and after his luck of the draw, he held out the number in his hand.

"We're lucky number fifteen," he said quietly, "We just have to wait to see who we get to fight first."

"If I may have your attention please!" the head referee announced with that rather annoying bullhorn of his. "We will now begin the first round of preliminary matches. If your number is called, please move to the ring designated for your fights. Team captains or leaders must present the three fighters to represent the team once you get to your ring and your turn is up." He wiped his sweaty brow again, which was baffling to most of the people in there as the room was relatively cool from the air conditioning system. "And now, we shall call out the numbers…eh…first up…team number ten and team number twenty-three!"

"It's not in order?" Naruto asked in bemusement.

"No," Kakashi replied. "Random drawings and pairings."

"I just hope we don't get Akatsuki first," Karin mumbled. "I wonder what number they are…"

"Who gives a shit?" Suigetsu replied as he began to stretch out his legs. "Whoever we fight first had better be good."

"Brother!"

Naruto perked up at the sight of Omoi jogging towards him. "Hey, bro. What's up?"

"We're number nine," Omoi said, grinning from ear to ear. "And up against team number 32. What's yours?"

"Fifteen," Naruto replied, glad that they weren't going to be fighting yet. "You get out there and kick some butt, okay?"

"Heh, you don't need to tell me that -"

"Omoi, you fucktard! Let's go!" Karui bellowed, causing the boy to flip the finger in her direction.

"Geez. I wish Kirabi was here. Maybe then they'd treat me with a little more respect. They think I'm their bitch or something," came the low grumble, before he perked up again to grin at his friend. "You don't lose now until we meet in the finals, okay?"

"You bet!" They gave each other a fist bump in parting, and Naruto watched his friend with an odd feeling of homesickness…as if wishing they could go back to the time when all seemed so innocent and they were just the two little knuckleheads who gave their neighbors so much trouble.

"Number Fifteen and Number Thirty! Ring Five!" screamed the announcer.

"That's us!" Naruto yelled in excitement. "Whoo hoo! Show time!"

"Iwata High," Sai observed as they walked into the organized chaos that was Arena III. "Shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Kakashi eyed the fighters being chosen from Iwata and nodded to himself as he made some notes on a small notebook he kept in his pocket. "Okay, I want Sai for the first match. Karin second and Juugo third if needed. Suigetsu, Naruto and Sasuke you sit this one out."

"Yes, sir," came the simultaneous replies as they took their positions. The fighters for this round began stretching, while Naruto, Sasuke and Suigetsu tried to get into good spots next to the ring to watch the match.

"I don't see any visitors here," Naruto said as he eyed the large arena.

"Large screens are placed in the main auditorium for those who want to watch," Sasuke explained. "When the matches move there tomorrow, that's when the real fun starts."

"Sweet." Naruto glanced at Sasuke, noting that their captain didn't look so sick anymore. Perhaps knowing he wasn't fighting right now or having those watchful eyes of his family was helping him relax a little. Either way, it was good to know that Sasuke was doing much better.

_All thanks to you._

He blushed faintly, remembering how Sasuke had seemed to melt against him in the safety of the restroom, hugging him just as tightly and simply saying nothing until his 'shakes' stopped. The whispered 'thank you, Naruto' meant more to him than he hated to admit.

"Are you ready?" came the voice of the portly man, who was apparently in charge of their ring. "Fighters for match one to the ring please. Names?"

"Sai for Team Taka," Sai answered politely as he leapt up and onto the elevated stage reminiscent of an actual boxing ring…except there were no ropes and the surface felt like polished wood covered with a blue tarp cloth.

"Haku for Team Kumo," his opponent replied.

"Geez, is that a girl or a guy?" Naruto asked in bemusement as the Iwata student with shoulder-length black hair and quite effeminate features, smiled at Sai before bowing in greeting. He pulled back his hair to tie it in a ponytail, giving them a better look of his pretty face.

"I think he defeats his opponents by looking goooorgeous," Suigetsu snickered, earning a loud laugh from Naruto that was quickly silenced as his gaze fell on the scowling man, dressed in army fatigues, standing beside the ring. Naruto guessed he was in charge of the Iwata student, who wasn't finding it particularly funny that his fighter was being laughed at.

"Fighters ready?" The referee bellowed as he stepped to the middle of the ring. "Remember – five minutes to fight. No weapons. No killing of opponents even if it's an 'accident'. Those equal automatic disqualifications. You lose if you fall out of the ring, surrender or are knocked unconscious. Understood?"

The fighters nodded and fell into their stances.

"GO SAI!" Naruto yelled which was echoed by Karin. "Kick his ass!"

"Fighters….begin!"

The bell was rung and in a flash, Sai made a move towards Haku. Naruto thought Sai must have landed a good one on the other boy's face, but was stunned as the Iwata fighter dodged with a speed that made it seem as if he was in two places at the same time.

"Damn…that was…_fast_," he whispered in awe.

"No kidding," Suigetsu whistled in appreciation.

"Too close," Haku said, smiling warmly as he noticed Sai glaring at him. "You almost caught me there, Sai."

"Whatever," came the muttered reply as Sai lashed out with a leg, hoping to trip the other boy. Again, Haku proved to be fast, for he not only dodged the attack, but managed to swing an arm, catching Sai off guard and slamming him to the floor with a sickening thud. The fighters watching winced, but Sai wasn't quite done yet. Suffering the agonizing pain that wracked through him, he thrust his knee upwards, finally making contact as he watched Haku's head snap back with the force of his blow. He got to his feet and delivered a series of punches, making sure he kept pushing the other boy back towards the edge of the ring. He prepared to finish off with a round house kick, but growled as Haku gave a small smile and leaped over his head to land on his haunches behind him.

"Haku!" came the irritated growl from the scowling man. "Stop messing around and finish him. You have a minute left."

Haku looked embarrassed at the reprimand and nodded quickly. Wiping his bleeding lips (Sai had done some damage apparently), he clasped his hands together and seemed about ready to meditate, only to gasp as Sai refused to let him finish whatever he was planning to do. He tried to dodge out of the way, but Sai moved swiftly. A hook kick intended for Haku's head would have been the final blow required for the win, however, the flexible Haku seemed to bend over backwards, a hand reaching out to grab Sai's ankle.

Sai realized what was about to happen before it was too late. He was losing his balance rapidly. "Fuck!"

"Sorry," Haku apologized sadly and with a carefully aimed chop at the back of Sai's knee, the Konoha fighter was sent toppling out of the ring, a howl of agony escaping his lips as he felt the bone crack with the pressure.

"SAI!" Karin screamed, running towards the boy who was clutching his broken leg. The rest of his teammates gathered around him, concern etched on their faces, but Kakashi pushed through to lift the boy carefully within his arms.

"I'll take him to the sick bay. Karin, you should be getting ready," the teacher said curtly, hoping to get the girl's mind back on track. "Stop worrying about Sai and focus on your match. Win this for him, understood?"

The girl nodded and wiped her tears quickly, taking a deep breath as she listened to the announcer with a low coil of anger in the pit of her stomach.

"Match One – Winner – Iwata High! Match Two begins! Names please?"

"Rie – Iwata High – Team Kumo."

"Karin – Konoha High – Team Taka."

"Go get her, Karin," Suigetsu said with a low growl, reaching out to squeeze her hand firmly. He could feel her trembling, and he leaned closer to whisper into her ear. "You can do it, babe. Now _go_!"

"Go Karin!" Naruto yelled in encouragement. She smiled at his loud voice, leaping into the ring as she noticed her opponent – a tall, lanky girl with green hair and eyes.

"Fighters ready?"

The girls fell into their stances.

"Begin!"

Rie was the first to attack, sending a flurry of quick kicks and punches that Karin blocked as best she could. However, one particular kick to her shoulder, sent her head snapping to the side and her glasses flying off her face and out the ring.

"Oh, man!" Naruto winced. "This isn't good…"

"Idiot," Sasuke said quietly, eyes trained on the girls in the ring. "She's just fine. I thought you realized that by now. She can fight with or without those bottles over her eyes."

"That's my girl," Suigetsu said smugly. "Now, Karin! Finish this, babe!"

The redhead needed no second prodding. With a speed that surprised her audience, she delivered a solid side kick to Rie's stomach, bending low and clasping both hands to form a hammer fist, and delivering a crushing blow to the girl's lower back. Rie fell flat on her stomach with a grunt of pain, immobile as the referee began to count to five.

"One….two…"

"It's over!" Suigetsu yelled in triumph. "Just stop the counting already. We won!"

"Way to go, Karin!" Naruto clapped in delight.

"Match Two – Winner – Konoha High! The decisive match begins with Juugo and Shindo! To the ring please!"

Panting and blushing with pleasure at her victory, Karin leapt out of the ring and into Suigetsu's waiting arms. He planted a hard kiss on her lips, pulling back to grin widely while fixing her glasses back on the bridge of her nose. "I knew you could do it."

"Hey, where's my kiss?" Naruto pouted, only to fight back a yelp as Karin leaped into his arms to plant kisses all over his face. "Okay…okay…I only asked for one…"

Sasuke eyed Juugo, reaching out to pat the bigger boy's arm gently. "You can do it, Juu. He should be no problems, right?"

"I don't think so," came the quiet reply. "I'll do my best."

"You go out there and kick some butt," Karin said, grinning as she reached out to hug Juugo tightly. "We'll be rooting for you."

Juugo smiled and climbed into the ring. His opponent was just as big, but built like a sumo wrestler. The scowling leader of Iwata High was pacing back and forth in growing agitation and frustration. "Make this quick, Shindo," he growled. "Or you know what awaits you if you lose."

"Ouch. Not exactly winning Coach of the Year, is he?" Naruto remarked with a shake of his head. "GOOO JUUGOOOO!" he yelled, knowing it would piss off Mr. Personality. "YOOOOU CAAAAAAAAAN DOOOOO IIIIITT!"

Karen and Suigetsu burst out laughing and even Sasuke was having a hard time controlling his smile. Naruto was being a pain in the ass and it was bound to throw off their opponents. It was a nice tactic, but one that might eventually get them in trouble.

"Fighters ready?"

The boys fell into their stances.

"BEGIN!"

Neither boy seemed to move as they gauged each other, wondering who had the better opening to attack from. Juugo, for someone of his size, could move pretty damn fast when he put his mind to it. However, many who might have underestimated Shindo for the way he looked, were stunned as he leapt into the air, his intention to slam his fists into Juugo from above. The Konoha fighter barely dodged the attack, sliding out of the way as Shindo landed with a heavy thud that shook the very foundations of the ring. Shindo lunged for Juugo again, but Juugo was ready this time. He held out his palms to stop the incoming figure, and with a grunt of exertion, he bent his knees to balance his weight, and in a swift move, had Shindo lifted above his head.

"Whoa!" came the collective gasps of amazement at the sudden development.

Juugo seemed to be counting beneath his breath. He spun around, once, twice and then with another grunt, tossed Shindo out of the ring as if he weighed nothing more than a toothpick, barely giving the spectators a chance to get out of the way in time.

"He has lost," he announced unnecessarily at the deathly silence that followed the thunderous crash of the other boy against a wall.

The referee blinked and rubbed his eyes. "Eh…yes…well…winner of the third and decisive match…Konoha High advances to the second round!"

"YAY!" Naruto, Karin and Suigetsu yelled in celebration as they bum rushed the blushing Juugo who was leaving the stage. "You did it!" Karin squealed, planting a big wet kiss on his cheek.

"We should let Kakashi sensei know," Naruto enthused as they began to leave the arena.

"Wait!" the referee cried out, "Don't forget round two begins in an hour. So be sure to return here to see who you're fighting next."

"Yes, sir," Sasuke nodded. He noticed the crowd gathering around the large poster board they hadn't even seen earlier. "I guess all the winners moving to the next round have been posted."

"Sweet! Let's go check it out," Naruto replied as he shoved his way through the throng of people to get in better position. He looked up at the towering board, eyes darting across electronic numbers and names as he tried to make sense of where they were and who they would be fighting next.

"Iwaki Koukou," Karin read out. "Team number 29. Who the hell are they?"

"Dunno and don't care," Suigetsu said, stretching his arms above his head. "I'm definitely fighting in the next round, and I can't wait to kick some ass."

Naruto, who had been looking for another number, whooped in delight as he noticed that Team Cloud had made it to the next round. He glanced around the room, searching for the familiar features of his friend and wasn't disappointed as Omoi came flying towards him.

"Brother! We made it!"

"Like there was any doubt," Naruto laughed. "I didn't get to see you fight though."

"I didn't fight this round. It didn't even get to me," Omoi laughed. "Yugito and Samui took care of things. What about you?"

"I didn't get to fight either. Probably in the next round."

"Wanna grab lunch with us, brother?" Omoi invited. "We've still got lots to talk about, man."

"I wanna go see one of my teammates," Naruto said with a sigh of regret. "His leg got busted in the first match by some guy who looks like a freakin' girl." Naruto's hands clenched into fists as he remembered how Haku had dealt the final blow. There was no doubt the boy had channeled his ki into his hand to cause that much damage to someone as strong as Sai. Even though Iwata High wasn't advancing, just knowing that someone like Haku existed was enough to remind him of how much he had to learn in the art of real fighting.

"Ah, man that blows. Hope he gets better soon. Anyway, we'll be in the cafeteria when you're all done with the visiting, okay? Hurry up though!" Omoi waved and dashed after his teammates.

Naruto jogged after his crew as they made their way to the clinic where moans and groans filled the air from injured fighters. Sasuke scanned the busy room and finally noticed Kakashi and Sai in one of the last cots at the opposite end.

As they approached, Kakashi looked up from the book he had been reading. "I take it you advanced to the next round?"

Sasuke nodded. "Karin and Juugo did great, sensei." His gaze drifted to the sleeping Sai, who looked even paler than normal. His leg was already in a cast and elevated by a harness.

"Please tell me he'll be able to fight again," Karin whispered, hands clasped beneath her chin as she tried not to burst into tears.

"It's iffy," Kakashi admitted. "He definitely won't be participating in the tournament anymore, that's for sure. We can only hope that he takes things easy and heals back to a hundred percent. That blow did more damage than we thought."

Sasuke's peripheral vision caught sight of the person responsible for Sai's injury and he frowned as he noticed Haku approaching them. The others were quick to notice the boy as well, and all seemed to stand around the bed protectively.

"Geez, look who's here," Suigetsu hissed coldly.

Haku's cheeks flamed with color at the unwelcome vibes directed at him. He glanced at the sleeping figure and then lowered his head in a deep bow. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I really didn't mean to hurt him that badly," the boy said in a fevered rush as if he was likely to be punished if he didn't get this off his chest immediately. He looked up, and the Konoha team was surprised to see the tears welling up in the Iwata student's eyes. "I…I have this for him…"

He reached into his gi to pull out a small vial.

"What's that? Poison?" Suigetsu snarled, taking a threatening step forward. Haku didn't budge even as he shook his head quickly.

"My parents are herbalists and this is likely to help your friend heal faster," the boy explained, bowing again. "Please accept this as a token of my sincerity. He only has to mix this in whatever drink he takes at least once a day until finished." He held it out before him like a sacrifice, no one making a move for it, until Naruto broke the silence by accepting it with a smile.

"Thanks, Haku," the blond said. "You're pretty cool to want to do this for Sai. I'm sure he'll appreciate it when he wakes up."

The boy blushed at the warm response and gave another polite bow. "I wish your team the best of luck. I'll be rooting for you…quietly," he added softly, glancing over his shoulder. He seemed to flinch as he noticed someone or something. "I have to go. Thank you again for understanding. Good bye."

They watched him make his way through the bustling room before Suigetsu eyed Naruto and scoffed. "You're sure Sai will _appreciate_ it when he wakes up? Seriously? Haku will be lucky if Sai even gives him the time of day or even lets him live. He got a lucky break out there and he knows it. He didn't have to break Sai's leg. All he had to do was toss Sai out like Juugo did to that fat bastard."

"Suigetsu's right," Karin nodded. "That was unnecessary."

"Well shoot, don't you guys see the pressure he's under?" Naruto replied with a wave of his hand. "You saw their fucked up coach that kept telling him to make things quick, what else could the kid do? He did what his teacher said, and the fact that he even came back to apologize shows he's really sorry about what happened. Give the guy a break, will ya?"

"Yay, Saint Naruto," came the low mutter from Suigetsu. "Come on, Karin, let's go get lunch. You coming, Juu? Sasuke? _Saint Naruto_?"

Naruto growled. "Fuck you…"

"I'll get lunch with you," Juugo interrupted as he began to pull Suigetsu away.

Kakashi sighed and closed his book as the trio finally left the room. He eyed Sasuke. "How did the others do?"

Knowing what Kakashi meant, Sasuke replied quietly. "They advanced. No surprise there."

"Who?" Naruto asked, placing the vial on the nightstand beside Sai's bed.

"Akatsuki, Sand and of course Cloud."

At the mention of Akatsuki, Naruto felt his blood boil. He was about to open his mouth to say something when the sudden loud commotion from the doorway had them glancing in that direction.

"They should be disqualified!" came the frustrated comments from the man who was trying to be appeased by some officials. "They nearly killed my fighters! It's illegal, goddamnit!"

Naruto tapped a passing nurse's shoulder. "What's going on?"

The woman, who looked no older than eighteen, sighed heavily. "His students were really injured in the fight they had. It was so bad, we could barely stop the bleeding and they had to be taken to the main hospital in the city."

Sasuke felt something cold fill his chest as he asked through lips that felt numb. "Who were their opponents?"

His question was answered by the raving man, who was now openly bawling like a baby. "Goddamn Akatsuki! They should be banned!"

The two boys shared a quick look of panic over the nurse's head, before turning to their teacher, who had been listening with a light frown on his features.

"Sensei…" Naruto began, but Kakashi held up a hand to stall him.

"We might not get to face them…or if we will, I'm sure this incident will have them more careful with the way they fight. For the meantime, I need you both to be prepared for your matches in…" He glanced at his watch. "Less than an hour. Grab something to eat – nothing too heavy though and I'll meet you in the arena when it's time. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," the boys replied.

They walked out of sick bay slowly, each lost in their thoughts as the reality of what awaited them with Akatsuki as potential opponents, weighed heavily on their minds. They had gotten away with their dirty tricks in this round, but how would they fare in future rounds, where time limits would be eradicated and they were free to do whatever the hell they wanted?

"Wanna grab lunch with me and Omoi?" Naruto suddenly asked, breaking through Sasuke's troubled thoughts.

"Uumm…no," Sasuke replied, shaking his head. "I need to see someone…"

"But Kakashi sensei said we had to eat…"

"I'll be fine, Naruto. Go meet up with your friend. I'll see you in the arena, okay?"

Naruto stalled a moment longer, searching the other boy's face carefully. "Sasuke…"

"I am fine, Naruto. Honest. Now go before I do something like kiss you in public again."

The blond had the grace to blush at the memory of what had happened the last time Sasuke had done that. He glanced around the busy lobby, where everyone seemed too preoccupied with the grandeur of their surroundings or with each other. Feeling his face literally burning now, Naruto took a hesitant step forward and taking a deep breath, he placed a hard but quick kiss on Sasuke's lips before spinning on his heels and walking away without looking back.

Sasuke's jaw would have dropped to the floor if it wasn't for the light chuckle behind him, which had him looking over his shoulder with a ready frown on his visage. His heart did sink and yet soar at the same time as he noticed who it was. The nervous flutter of butterflies filled his stomach and that sickening urge to throw up overwhelmed him.

"Hello, little brother," came the greeting accentuated with a small smile.

So it really hadn't been his imagination, Sasuke thought wildly. All this time he had assumed his mind had been playing cruel tricks on him…that Itachi couldn't have been in the auditorium with his parents…that his vomiting session in the restroom was a result of being nervous about the tournament and not at the notion that his brother was actually here to watch him.

_Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Why?_

And to make it worse, Itachi had seen him and Naruto…

"Didn't know you had a new boyfriend, Sasuke," Itachi mused aloud, causing his younger brother to blush in response. "But don't mind me. Who am I to interfere with your personal affairs…"

"Damn right it's none of your business," Sasuke snapped irritably. "What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you were in Hong Kong or, hopefully, the North Pole?"

"The North Pole was too cold," Itachi replied with a light smirk. "And I missed you so much, little brother, I had to come home."

"It's Sasuke, goddamn it, not 'little brother'!"

Itachi tried to look hurt. "But aren't you my little brother…?"

"Oh, God…I am _not_ having this conversation with you." Sasuke rubbed his forehead and prepared to turn away, feeling a headache coming on. He should have accepted that lunch with Naruto. His only reason for refusing was to see if Itachi was really here by finding his mother, but apparently that little trip would no longer be necessary.

"Is it so wrong for me to want to cheer my lit…you on?"

Sasuke gave a bitter laugh. "Cheer me? Since when have you ever given a fuck about me? You and Dad, both of you never gave a damn! Only laughing when you saw I could never live up to the ridiculous achievements you kept piling on like it was going out of style! I'm sick of trying to live up to you and Dad's expectations! I don't want to be _you_, goddamn it!"

Sasuke snapped his mouth shut, cheeks flushed as he realized his little tirade had garnered an attentive audience. _Shit!_ _I have to get out of here!_

"Why would you want to be me, Sasuke?" Itachi finally asked softly. "What's so wrong in being …well…_you_?"

Sasuke's lips tightened. "Dad always liked you better. Everything was 'Itachi did this at this age, so why can't you? Itachi won this many awards, so why can't you? Itachi was captain of all the motherfucking clubs on the planet, why can't you? It was all about you, you, you…don't touch me!" He took a step back as he noticed Itachi reaching out for him and was aghast to still feel his brother's warm touch against his…_wet?_ cheeks.

_When the hell…?_

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," came the quiet response. Itachi raised his tear-stained finger to his lips to lick it gently. "These tears are a reminder of how I could have been a better brother to you. I know it's too late to say this, but all these years…I really did want you to find your own path…to do things your way and not because Dad said so. Unlike you, I had no choice, Sasuke. It was either Dad's way or bust. I had the pressure of carrying the family name and Dad was determined to make sure I didn't forget it. You, on the other hand, have the freedom to be whoever and whatever you want to be…and, whether you choose to believe me or not, I really am proud of what you've achieved so far."

Sasuke lowered his gaze, biting his lower lip hard. He didn't…_couldn't_ budge when he felt the hand on his head, or the soft ruffle of his hair. Suddenly, like a treasure chest being unlocked after years of being buried, memories he had locked away filled his mind all over again. He was taken back to a time when he had thought his older brother was the sun, earth and moon all rolled into one – a time when the much younger Itachi had laughed and played with him – a time when they had slept in the same bed, curled up against the warmth of his older brother who he had loved more than anyone else in the world.

"Liar," he finally whispered and stepped away from Itachi, wiping his eyes and cheeks with angry swipes, still unable to look into the other's eyes. "Stop lying to me. You're just saying this to make me feel better."

"You say it like it's a bad thing," Itachi replied, and would have said something else when…

"WOULD ALL FIGHTERS FOR ROUND TWO BEGIN TO MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE ARENA, PLEASE? ALL FIGHTERS FOR ROUND TWO PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE ARENA. THANK YOU!"

"I guess that's your cue," Itachi said as the announcement which had boomed over unseen speakers ended with a low whine of the microphone. "So…I'll tell Mom and Dad that you're doing okay, hmm?"

Sasuke looked up with a 'are-you-shitting-me?' look on his features, and seeing Itachi's smile was almost his undoing. What was there to smile about?

"Good luck, Sasuke…not that you need it, right?"

"I don't," came the confident reply. "I'll be fine."

Itachi gave a curt nod before turning away…only to stop and turn back with a smirk now on his features. "By the way…your boyfriend…he's quite the looker."

Sasuke's eyes widened, a blush creeping up his cheeks at the underlying tone beneath his brother's seemingly innocuous statement. "Don't you dare…!"

Itachi's amused laughter remained with him long after he got lost in the throng of people making their way to the main auditorium. Sasuke growled and took a deep breath, trying to gather himself before making his way to the arena. It was definitely not the way he had hoped to spend his few minutes before the fight began, however…

He placed a hand against his stomach.

…the nervous butterflies were gone. That urge to vomit was no longer there and he felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

_/Why would you want to be me?/_

Why indeed? Itachi had always been the image of perfection to him, and yet his brother had just confessed that he was far from it. In one fell swoop, Itachi had managed to erase years of doubt and personal turmoil over his self-worth. He had nothing to prove to anyone but to himself. He didn't have to please his father or seek his approval, and the knowledge that Itachi was proud of him despite it all, was the missing piece he had needed all this time.

_Damn you, Itachi,_ he thought as a reluctant smile came to his lips. _Damn you to hell._

"Oy, Sasuke! It's show time!"

He looked towards the direction of the loud call, his heart leaping with a whole other emotion as his 'looker of a boyfriend' approached with what looked like a cookie stuck in his mouth.

"Hungry?" Naruto asked, dangling the treat before Sasuke's eyes.

"Only for you," came the husky reply that sent the blond's cheek flaming with color.

"You goddamn pervert!"

Sasuke laughed and tugged on Naruto's hand, leading him into the arena where their opponents awaited them.

Neither boy noticed the very group they had been worrying about, watching their every move with acute interest.


	17. Chapter 17

**Warnings:** Do not read this chapter with children in the vicinity or your boss looking over your shoulder...that is all.

**P.S:** So I don't keep getting asked this all the time, **no** this story is **not **pre-written. I do write this much and fast when I'm _very_ motivated as I am now. And if I procrastinate, I tend to not finish stories and it's a habit I'm trying to break.

And now back to your regularly scheduled program! :)

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen:**

With only sixteen teams left, the arena was considerably less crowded – although a few members from schools that had lost in the first round stuck around to watch the remaining matches.

Team Taka was back to Ring Five and this time, their opponents looked like they had been watching one too many Bruce Lee movies. Iwaki Koukou's uniform consisted of yellow jumpsuits with black stripes on the side – the same outfit the famous martial artist/actor had worn in his last movie.

"Funky," Naruto said around a snicker as he, Suigetsu and Sasuke stretched together. "I wish Rock Lee was here. He'd have had a ball with these guys."

"Don't forget Gai sensei," Suigetsu grunted as Naruto tugged his arms to ease the stiff muscles there. "That freak would be dancing with joy too."

Kakashi's shadow loomed over them as he tapped his notebook. "The fighters have been picked. So…Suigetsu, you're up first, then Naruto and if needed, Sasuke you go last."

"Heh, you might not get to fight today, Sasuke," Naruto said with a smirk, idly noticing that the other boy looked less…well…tense. He couldn't put his finger on it, but Sasuke appeared to be more relaxed than ever, or perhaps it was the kiss that had done it. Naruto still couldn't believe he had done something so bold, although he had to admit it felt pretty good to shock Sasuke every once in a while with something unexpected.

"I better not," came the amused reply from their captain. "I trust you two to take care of things, right?"

"You bet, _mon capitaine_," Suigetsu replied, bounding to his feet and hopping in excitement.

A loud gong was heard as the announcer stood on his podium to blast through his bullhorn. "ROUND TWO NOW BEGINS! FIGHTERS TO YOUR DESIGNATED RINGS AND GOOD LUCK!"

"This is the big one," Kakashi said quietly. "Remember, if we win, we get to the semi-finals tomorrow. Suigetsu…try not to get too excited out there and lose your control…same goes for you, Naruto. Good luck."

"Did I miss it?" Karin panted as she dashed in with Juugo following at a slower pace. She wiped the remnants of the crumbs of whatever she had been eating from her mouth and eyed the other school's fighters.

"Just in time to watch me shine, babe," Suigetsu replied, grinning as they noticed their referee make his way to the middle of the ring. He accepted the good luck kiss from his girl and took a deep breath, feeling his heart beating harder and faster with unbridled adrenaline. This was the moment he had been training so diligently for all these months. Finally, it was his turn to show the world what he was capable of.

"Fighters for match one to the ring please," the referee announced. "Your name?"

"Suigetsu – Team Taka – Konoha High." He winked at his teammates and leapt onto the stage.

His opponent was a wiry kid, dressed in the ridiculous yellow jumpsuit and with a bowl cut so severe, Suigetsu wondered if it could slice through anything. To add to his irritation, the kid seemed to be bouncing all over the place even as the referee tried to ask him his name.

"Jackie Chun," the boy replied in a nasal voice. "Team Dragon – Iwaki Koukou. Awwwoooooo!"

"The fuck?" Naruto asked in confusion and yet amusement as the boy fell into a crane stance, arms over his head as if channeling the Karate Kid. "And what kind of a name is Jackie Chun anyway?"

Suigetsu, with arms folded across his chest, watched the ridiculous display before glancing at his teammates as if wondering if he had just stepped into a bad episode of the Twilight Zone. "What the hell is this?"

"Don't take him too lightly," Sasuke called out. "They must have won the first round with some wicked skill or something."

"Fighters ready?"

Jackie fell into another ridiculous pose, while Suigetsu rolled his eyes and fell into a more traditional stance. He had to get this over with before his temper got the best of him. The kid was really beginning to piss him off.

"BEGIN!"

"Awwwooooooo! Crouching tiger…hidden dragon!"

Suigetsu blinked. "What the…?"

"Haayaaa!" The sudden kick to his face had the Konoha fighter staggering backwards in surprise. He shook his head to clear the sea of stars that danced before his vision. The stupid kid was still hopping around like a bunny, making those annoying sounds, but there was no doubt it was all a ploy to distract him. Jackie was pretty damn quick on his feet.

"Grr…"

"Calm down, Suigetsu," Kakashi murmured.

Suigetsu smirked and spat. "Lucky shot, Jackie whatever the hell your name is, but you're going dow…urgh!"

This time the blow had seemed to come from nowhere. One minute, he was speaking, the next, Jackie had used those skinny legs to deliver a series of kicks to Suigetsu's unprotected torso. He fell to his knees, clutching his stomach whose muscles seemed to stretch and contract in painful waves that made it hard to breathe. What the hell was this guy made of? Steel?

"Hayaa! Jumping spider!" Jackie fell into another pose.

"Come on, Suigetsu!" Naruto bellowed. "Don't let him fool you with those dirty tricks!"

"Yeah, babe!" Karin screamed. "Show him what's what!"

_Shut the fuck up,_ Suigetsu wanted to scream as he rose to his feet and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He was running out of time and –

"Drunken monkey!" Jackie screeched and as Suigetsu opened his eyes to see what the bastard was doing now, he was stunned into silence at the sudden burning sting felt on his left cheek. His head snapped to the side, eyes widening in disbelief at what had just happened.

It was a slap. Nothing but a slap.

"Whoooooo, drunken money attack two!"

_A slap….the son-of-a-bitch slapped me!_

If there was anything Suigetsu considered more insulting, it was receiving a slap from anyone. It dredged up memories of foster homes where fathers had not given a damn about him or his mothers. It dug up bitterness and pain, of curling up in the quiet of his room, sobbing into his pillow as he had been humiliated by lecherous old men who wanted nothing more than his flesh.

_A slap…_

"Drunken monkey…aaaaaaaargh!"

No one had seen any particularly impressive move, but what they _could_ see was Jackie suddenly flying out of the ring with a force that had him crashing into a wall across the room and leaving a noticeable dent in the thick concrete. Suigetsu looked as if he hadn't moved from his position, but if his lowering right hand was any indication, it seemed like he had just delivered the mother of all slaps to Jackie.

The referee blinked. "Uum…"

"Isn't the damn match over?" Suigetsu growled. "End it already."

"Ah…yes, yes of course. Winner of the first match…eh…Konoha High!"

Their audience erupted in applause as Suigetsu jumped out of the ring. He should have been gloating, but the unwelcome memories still burned in his mind. He barely heard his teammates' enthusiastic cries or the warm feel of Karin's hug and kisses as he looked up at Kakashi.

"May I be excused, sensei?"

Karin, finally noticing Suigetsu wasn't acting like himself, frowned lightly in concern. "What's wrong?"

Kakashi nodded slowly, realizing that something must have happened to cause the boy to be this somber. If he needed the space to work out his problems, then so be it. "Yes, you may. Good match by the way."

"Yeah, whatever." He turned to leave, only to look back at Naruto. "Win, blondie, or I'll kill you."

Naruto grinned. "Heh. Don't go too far. It will be over before you know it."

Suigetsu managed a wan smile and left the room with Karin hot on his heels. Naruto's grin faded as he watched the couple. He too had noticed that Suigetsu wasn't his normal self, and had to wonder if that confession about his childhood and the way Jackie had fought him today caused the sudden change in demeanor.

"He'll be fine," Kakashi said as he noticed the concerned looks on the fighters' faces. He gave them a warm smile of reassurance. "I'm sure Karin will help him where we can't. Naruto?"

The blond looked up with a start as if awakened from a doze. "Yes, sensei?"

"You're up. Time to show us what you've got, eh?"

Naruto grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Yeah!"

"Good luck, Naruto," Juugo said with a warm smile.

"Make it quick," Sasuke mumbled and earned a playful nudge as he tried not to smile. "Good luck," he whispered as Naruto walked past him. He felt hot at the quick wink directed towards him, forcing his gaze to their opponent to will away the random sinful thoughts that filled his mind.

"Second match begins," the referee announced. "Fighters to the ring! Your names?"

"Uzumaki Naruto!" came the loud response as he bounded to the ring. "Team Taka – Konoha High!"

"Lin Chin – Team Dragon – Iwaki Koukou!"

Naruto gawked at the lithe female, for there was no mistaking the swell of her boobs beneath the jumpsuit. She too was doing the ridiculous crane stance pose, but unlike her male counterparts, she made it look kinda…well…sexy.

"Ah shit, why do I have to fight a girl?" he muttered, wondering how to go about this. Even when sparring with Karin, he had to be careful, but now…

"Fighters ready?"

They fell into their stances.

"Begin!"

"Haaaaayaaaaa!" Lin spun around like a top sending a sudden gust of wind which forced Naruto to shield his eyes. He took a step back, only to grunt in pain as he felt one blow…then two…then three in rapid succession on his back, stomach and legs. A sharp stinging sensation on his cheek had him grimacing, a thin trickle of blood the result of the unexpected cut. He would have buckled to his knees, but managed to squint and notice the tips of her stocking-clad feet.

"Gotcha." He dove for them and smirked at her yelp of astonishment. Hoping he could at least push out of the ring, so he wouldn't have to hurt her, he was taken by surprise as she raised her other leg to deliver a hard axe kick upon his shoulder blades.

"Damn it!" He was forced to release her, rolling away to his haunches to glare in thought as to what to do next. Man, talk about a tough chick who wouldn't quit. He licked his lips, the blood from the cut flowing into his mouth. He couldn't see her holding any weapon, since that wasn't allowed, and her fingernails weren't that long or sharp. He deduced that the wind motion from her twirling must have caused it. She must be converting her ki into invisible blades that could hurt him badly if she tried that stunt again.

"Crouching Praying Mantis!" she shrieked.

"Wha…? Whoa!" He dodged with a back flip as she seemed to leap towards him. Her foot, which had been raised again to slam into him, crashed into the floor instead. The dent that was left behind gave the blond reason to gulp. His shoulders were still stinging from her earlier blow.

"Two minutes left, Naruto!" Sasuke yelled. "Stop seeing her as a girl, goddamnit!"

"Shut up! I'm thinking!" Naruto hissed back.

Lin gave a shy smile. "You wouldn't hurt me now, would you, handsome?" She lowered her leg and then took a deep breath, allowing her chest to expand in a way that drew attention to her breasts. On any other day, Naruto might have been distracted by this display, but Sasuke's reminder and the fact that he really didn't have time to appreciate the boobies (however excellent they were) had him making a final decision.

"Sorry, babe," he said with a regretful smile. "Don't want to do this, but you know…I've got a match to win here."

And in a move Kakashi had taught him, Naruto seemed to crouch as if about to begin a race. With a speed that was barely visible with the human eye, he dashed towards the girl and, remembering not to use too much strength, he transferred a direct flow of his ki through his arm, into his palm and delivered a swift punch to her shin. She would only sustain a bruise, but he had added the extra energy to throw her out the ring with no intention of breaking any bones. Her surprised shriek at the attack was followed by her teammates scrambling to catch her before she fell to the ground.

Naruto exhaled and rose to his full height. "Phew. Close one."

"Winner – Team Konoha! Two wins means you advance to the semi-finals tomorrow. Congratulations!"

Naruto bowed as their audience broke into applause. "Thank you, thank you," he enthused, blowing kisses as if speaking to an adoring crowd. "I'll be here all weekend."

"Get off the stage, dipshit," Sasuke called out, unable to stop the smile that came to his features even if he wanted to. "We need to patch you up."

"Bah, I'm fine!" Naruto jumped off the ring, landing lithely on his feet. "How did I do Kakashi sensei?

"Not bad, not bad at all," his teacher praised, chuckling softly. "However, the tougher teams and fights begin tomorrow, so don't relax just yet."

"I wanna see if Omoi made it," Naruto said, heading toward the large poster board. Only two more matches seemed to be taking place as he walked past the other rings, and none of them featured his friend's team, which meant that they had either won quickly or had lost.

In his haste, he bumped into someone, grunting lightly and turning around to apologize. "Sorry…I didn't mean to bum…"

The cold teal eyes that met his had him faltering. He had noticed the Sand's team captain since their arrival, but hadn't been this up close and personal yet. The boy was slightly shorter than Naruto, but there was a presence that seemed to surround Gaara – a presence that made him downright fearsome. Maybe it was the extra heavy make-up around the eyes or that tattoo that must have hurt a bitch to sit through – I mean seriously, who got a tattoo on their forehead? There was no doubt the boy must have a high threshold for pain if he could withstand the…

"If you're quite done staring at me," came the low statement which sent a flush of color to Naruto's cheeks. "I'd like to move."

"Oh yeah…eh…sorry…" _Creepy dude._

"Hi, Naruto."

He perked up considerably as he noticed it was Temari greeting him. "Hey, girl. How are you? Congrats on getting to the final eight."

"Thanks." She gave him a warm smile. "Congrats as well. Who knows? We might end up meeting in the second semi-final match. We're in the same block."

"We are?" Naruto turned to the board, noticing that the officials were beginning to arrange things in order. Sure enough, the final eight teams were being paired up and from the way things were going, it looked like they would potentially be fighting with Team Sand in the match needed to decide who would make it to the finals. Team Cloud and Akatsuki were in the same block, meaning for either team to make it to the finals, both would have to face each other in the deciding match. Naruto felt a cold dread in the pit of his stomach as he thought of his friend having to deal with those bastards. He didn't know how strong Omoi was now, but at least he hoped he'd get to see his friend perform first hand tomorrow.

"The matches are going to be one by one, right?" Naruto asked.

"If you mean one after the other, yes," Temari replied. "And with no time limit, it could be an all day thing."

"Damn…"

"Naruto." Kakashi's voice broke through his thoughts. "Come on, we need to rub you down and take care of that cut. Besides, you have friends and family who want to see you."

Naruto gave a whoop of delight. He had almost forgotten about Shikamaru and the others. It was time to catch up with his buddies, and waving good bye to the blonde girl, Naruto dashed out of the arena and towards the visitors lobby, full of excitement and eager to share it with anyone who cared to listen.

* * *

It was almost ten o'clock at night when Naruto finally made it back to their hotel room. After spending most of the afternoon and evening with not only his three best buddies, but with Omoi and even Jiraiya and Ms. Fuyutsuki, Naruto was dead on his feet. Locking the door behind him, he flopped onto his bed and kicked off his shoes, stretching as the soft comfort of the blanket and pillows soothed his aching body. He could vaguely hear the shower running and figured one of his roommates was making use of it. He closed his eyes and smiled at the memory of his day. It was his uncle who had sponsored the trip, inviting Kiba, Shika and Chouji and the girls to come along for the ride. They were staying at a neighboring hotel – just right across the street - and his uncle had spared no expense providing the teens with an entire penthouse suite for their leisure.

"Lucky bastards," Naruto said with a chuckle as he remembered the shenanigans they had gotten into. He had invited Omoi along, and needless to say, he fit in well with the others. Playing video games, ordering the most ridiculous things for room service and running around the spacious corridors, were just a few of the childish things they had done. However, it had helped Naruto relax. He only wished his teammates had been there to join him. He hadn't seen Suigetsu and Karin since they left the arena, and noticing that Suigetsu's bed was still neatly made (thanks to the maids), Naruto could only assume they were still together. As for Sasuke and Juugo, they had excused themselves after another brief visit with Sai. Maybe Sasuke spent the rest of the day with his parents, who knows?

The sound of the bathroom door opening had Naruto turning his head a little. Prepared to hail a loud 'hello' in greeting, he felt his mouth run dry as Sasuke stepped out with nothing but a towel draped around his waist and another being run through those spiky locks vigorously. Drops of water shone like crystal beads on his toned and wet torso as he walked further into the room. He would have made his way to the fridge to grab a drink, but his startled gaze drifted to the still figure lying on the bed watching him in silence.

Sasuke flushed. "Geez, when the fuck did you get in?"

Naruto, who was sure his voice would fail him, was surprised to hear himself speak. "Not too long ago." Damn if his pants weren't getting too tight at how good Sasuke looked. He fought to lower his gaze…to look at anything but at the boy now approaching him…or actually his own bed.

"Oh…didn't hear you come in," Sasuke muttered as he sat down, turning away from Naruto to dig through his bag for his pajamas bottoms. After a long thick silence that was gradually filling with tension, Sasuke cleared his throat and asked. "So…eh…how did it go with the friends and family?"

"Great!" Naruto replied too quickly and in a voice that sounded breathless. God, but he was acting like this was the first time he had ever seen a guy naked. He had seen plenty of guys…okay, maybe not that many but still…he would _not_ admire the way Sasuke's back looked so strong…or how that skin begged to be touched…or why he was getting so damned turned on by a guy he had sworn never to get too attracted to…

…_even if he was the last guy on earth, eh?_

"We…eh…had a lot of fun…wish you were there though," Naruto finished quietly.

Becoming restless or better yet, hoping to get rid of the aching strain in his pants, he bounded to his feet and began to make his way to the bathroom. "I'm…eh… gonna take a shower…so…if you need me…"

As soon as the words escaped his lips, he knew he shouldn't have said that for Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, and the look directed at Naruto was so heated and full of blatant desire, the blond felt he was bound to melt into a puddle if he didn't look away.

"If I _need_ you?" came the low question. "You have no fucking idea how much I _need _you."

_Oh, God…I can't fucking breathe…I can't…and he's coming towards me…_

Sasuke had risen to his feet, that hot gaze, which seemed to plead yet demand Naruto's complete attention, spoke volumes. In a move that was nothing short of seductive, Sasuke's hands began to travel down the length of his torso. He gasped and allowed his lashes to flutter shut, throwing his head back as he began an act of self-gratification unlike anything Naruto had ever seen before. He could only watch helplessly as Sasuke's hands roamed down his chest, caressing his nipples before hovering at the edge of the towel that was already threatening to fall.

"Naruto…" came the guttural moan from his dark-haired tormentor. "Naruto…Naruto…"

The towel slid to the floor revealing more of Sasuke than Naruto could have ever dreamed of. The boy was certainly..._talented_… in that department to say the least.

"Holy fuck…" Naruto gasped, struggling to gather moisture in his parched throat. He was frozen in place…wouldn't have been able to move anyway even if he wanted to. Sasuke's hand was traveling down…down….lower… and lower until the lean fingers caressed his cock sending shivers down both boys' spines at the simple but downright naughty act.

Sasuke lifted his lashes slowly… scorching…burning… "Do you want me to do it, Naruto?" he asked in a voice that seemed to drip with sex.

"Do…it…?" came the croaked response.

Sasuke licked his lips and moaned again, this time lowering his head and his gaze to the floor as his fingers wrapped around his cock to tug gently. "You want to watch me come, don't you?"

Naruto swallowed. He wanted a whole bunch of things, but he couldn't trust himself to speak. He must have said something or made a sound because Sasuke's hand began to move up and down…faster and more in control. It was clear the boy knew how to bring himself the utmost pleasure and he was doing a fine job showing Naruto how it was really done.

"Uuuh….Naruto…" Sasuke breathed and fell back to his bed; body arching into relief as he squeezed his eyes shut and stroked himself even faster. "I want….want…" He panted breathlessly, unable to finish his broken words as his entire body seemed to stiffen.

_Fuck me to hell and back. That's it. I can't take it anymore._

With a single stride, he was before his captain, a hand reaching out to cover Sasuke's hard working one to finish off what he had started. Sasuke's lashes flew open as he felt the slightly callused flesh against his and he jerked in response, unable to control the sudden rush of intense pleasure that overwhelmed him and brought tears to his eyes.

"Oh, God…" came the breathless gasp before he exploded against their hands, his torso, and Naruto's uniform - even a few drops of his seed found its way to Naruto's cheek. "Fu…fuck…"

Naruto grinned and reached out to wipe the evidence, bringing it to his lips to taste Sasuke for the first time. "Mmm…."

Sasuke's already flushed features darkened at the heated look in the other boy's eyes. "Am I really that good?" he asked, a light smirk coming to his lips.

"Better than candy," Naruto replied, only to yelp in surprise as he was suddenly tossed onto his back on the bed. His parted lips were seized in a hard kiss, restless hands tugging at the belt that held his gi together. Without saying a word, both boys worked together in getting rid of the restricting clothing, harsh breaths mingling as Naruto sat up to all but rip off his top while Sasuke dealt with his pants. They fell back to the bed their kisses deepening as their naked bodies met for the first time.

Naruto's sexual experiences were restricted to losing his virginity at fourteen to a woman Chouji had introduced him to – she had been nice enough to help Kiba and Shika as well in the initiation process. His second time was with a girl he was sure he had been in love with, but it turned out she had not only lied about being a student of a neighboring high school, but she was actually a freshman in college with a boyfriend who was a member of a notorious gang. Needless to say, the fight that had occurred afterwards hadn't been pretty.

Sex with the girls had been great – well as great as he could remember considering he almost always came too fast or didn't come at all, and they weren't moments he could relish or recount over and over in his mind when prodded. He had simply slept with them for the sake of his reputation; to not be the laughing stock of his peers. Sex had really meant nothing to him but another ritual in growing up. Some of the porn videos he watched showed the girls overacting their pleasure, but even then, Naruto had wondered if he'd ever have a girl that loud or crazy about him…a girl that willing to make him feel like he was the most important thing in the world…a girl…

"Oooooh fuuuuck!" He jerked off the bed as he felt Sasuke's hand wrapped around his cock, soon followed by the sensation of wetness and warmth that could only mean he was getting the blow job of his life.

He looked down at the tousled black hair bobbing up and down below him, and bit his lower lip so hard, he could almost taste blood. He threw back his head and struggled to breathe, to control himself from coming too soon as Sasuke toyed with his balls, stretching and caressing them as his tongue did that amazing twirl motion around the tip of his swelling…

"Shit…shit….shit….Sas….Sasuke….I'm gonna….I'm gonna….oooh…."

"Not yet, Naruto," came the breathless whisper from his partner as his cock was squeezed gently. He looked up at the taut body trembling with desire and Sasuke smiled at his handiwork. He was going to make sure Naruto never forgot this night even if he never got to this again. He was determined to enjoy this moment for as long as he could. Months of fantasizing, teases and unwelcome interruptions had brought them to this point and nothing was going to stop him now.

Keeping his eyes trained on Naruto's flushed and lightly sweaty visage, he traced the outline of the boy's anus, licking his lips as he stuck his finger into his mouth to coat it with saliva before thrusting it slowly into the puckered entrance that seemed to contract and expand at the unexpected invasion. As expected, Naruto seemed to tighten his inner muscles, as if rejecting Sasuke, and he sat up with a panicked look in his eyes, head shaking as he tried to convey his fear at what was about to take place.

"It's okay, Naruto," Sasuke whispered, leaning up and placing a kiss so tender and loving on the blond's lips that Naruto felt like a baby being comforted by a mother. He closed his eyes as he felt the finger again…moving slowly…carefully…deeper into him. "Just breathe," Sasuke urged in reassurance, trailing a soft kiss along his jaw and towards his weak spot.

"Oh, God…Sasuke…" Naruto sagged against his partner, hands reaching out to grab Sasuke's shoulders for dear life at the dual attack on his erogenous zones. The roaming finger went deeper…Sasuke's kisses on his ear were more teasing. Naruto felt the rush of heat to his cock and groin area and he knew he was going to come any second now.

"I want to…" he pleaded in a voice that sounded hoarse and weak…needy and almost whiny. "I want to come, Sasuke….please…"

"Not yet."

Before Naruto could say anything else, Sasuke was pulling away a little to reach into the carryall bag at the foot of his bed. He rummaged around for a moment before whipping out what looked like a small bottle of oil and a familiar foil wrapper.

Naruto blushed several shades of red and covered his face, unable to believe this was happening to him. "Oh God…this is embarrassing. You carry that with you all the time?"

"Shut up. I'm always prepared," Sasuke said around a soft chuckle, smirking as he unwrapped the condom. "Besides, no way in hell are we doing this without precaution…"

"You know…just in case I get pregnant or something," Naruto teased, trying to will down the nervous butterflies that filled his stomach. He hadn't exactly done research on how guys lost their virginity, but he hoped to God it wouldn't hurt too much. All the same…

"Is it going to…?" He cleared his throat as he watched Sasuke roll the protection over his cock, again amazed at how deft the other boy was with things like these. He had to wonder how many times Sasuke had had sex with boys _and _girls.

"Hurt?" Sasuke finished with a warm smile. He held up the bottle of lube and leaned down to reassure his concerned partner with a slow and thorough kiss that had the blond turning into a pile of mush once released. "Not with this," came the soft whisper against his swollen lips. "I'll make it good for you, Naruto. You'll see."

He nodded and squeezed his eyes shut, listening to the cork of the bottle being open, the sound of it being poured into Sasuke's palm and then…

"Naruto…you had better relax…"

"You try relaxing when your butt's about to be de-virginized," came the nervous response.

"Well, I'm trying to make this as pain free as possible and de-virginizing you will involve you helping me and you too by not being so tense."

"Okay, okay, already…Christ!" Naruto tried to breathe evenly…tried to think of good…happy….

_Oooh…yeah…._

The bastard was doing it again…sucking on Naruto's cock while teasing his anus with his well-oiled fingers at the same time. He barely felt the two fingers that slid into him and began to stretch his tightened inner muscles, hoping to relax them as best as possible. Naruto's hips began to thrust upwards on their own, his aroused nipples jutting in relief as his neck arched with increased pleasure. A breathless mantra of 'yes, yes, yes, oh yes' escaped his swollen lips. He almost cried out as he felt Sasuke withdraw, and he opened his eyes to tell him to continue, when he felt the tip of something much bigger and wider than fingers tease the prepared entrance.

"Sas…Sasuke…?"

The dark-haired boy leaned over him, his features a play of shadows thanks to the lamps that were the only source of light in the room. It made him look more mature…more in control of the situation, even as his heart raced with the enormity of what he was about to do. In his dreams, he had imagined them in this position. In his dreams, he had watched Naruto writhe and squirm below him in uncontrolled lust. In his dreams, Naruto had screamed out his name, never wanting to let go. However, reality presented a different picture – a picture that reminded Sasuke that this was a boy who had never experienced anything like this before and was giving himself up willing…trusting that Sasuke wouldn't hurt him.

"Naruto," he croaked in a voice thick with that emotion that made him want to break down in tears. "Naruto…please…trust me…" He closed his eyes as he captured the blond's lips, sucking in a breath as he began to thrust into the waiting heat.

"Ah shit…" Naruto gasped, pulling away from the kiss and clutching the sheets in a death grip as he tried to breathe evenly. "Sasuke…wait….wait….go easy…"

He waited patiently, all the while trying to ease Naruto's fears by placing tender kisses along his sweat-lined jaw and neck. He'd be patient for as long as it took.

"Oka…okay…" Naruto panted, thrusting his hips upwards in a motion for Sasuke to continue. "I'm…I think I'm ready now…aaah…."

Sasuke went even further this time, stopping when he felt Naruto tense up again. He whispered loving words of encouragement, withdrawing to the tip and then thrusting in a little deeper each time he felt Naruto was relaxed enough. His resolve to be gentle nearly snapped as he could go in no further and the tight inner muscles wrapped snugly around his cock, trapping him like a vice. He moaned and buried his face against Naruto's neck, biting gently as desire like a sharp prick of a knife pierced through his mind, making his world go nearly black with its intensity.

"Oh, God, Oh God, Oh God….Sasuke…move…move goddamn it before I go fucking crazy."

And move he did. His thrusts gathered momentum and rhythm, heightened only by Naruto's low sounds of pleasure as his legs wrapped around Sasuke's waist, and arms around his neck. He held on tightly, afraid that if he let go, he'd collapse into an abyss that would drive him mad. Sex had never been this intense before. Sex wasn't supposed to make you see stars like this. Sex with _a guy_, goddamnit, wasn't supposed to make you want to cum all over yourself like a schoolboy having his first experience. Sex wasn't supposed to be this…this…

"Ah fuck!" he cried out in defeat as he buried his face against Sasuke's neck and finally let go of the explosive heat that threatened to send him into spontaneous combustion. He barely heard Sasuke's accompanying cry of completion, but did feel the boy swelling within him as his cock finally released thick spurts of seed between their slick torsos.

He fell back to the bed, pulling Sasuke along with him, their bodies still trembling as they tried to regain their shattered composure. They were hot, sticky and languid in their satiation, neither able to move a muscle as they struggled to slow down their heavy breathing and pounding hearts.

Sasuke was the first to recover and he slowly pulled out of Naruto, both sucking in a breath at the slight pain yet bereft feeling it elicited. He rolled unto his back and was surprised (and secretly happy as hell) when Naruto seemed to curl up against him with a small smile on his features. Neither boy said anything, words seeming too trivial to explain just what they had experienced. Sasuke settled for brushing away the blond locks stuck to Naruto's damp forehead in soothing, gentle motions, feeling his lashes getting heavier as welcome sleep beckoned.

"So this is just one night with you, eh, Sasuke?" Naruto finally whispered after what seemed like an eternity.

Sasuke blushed as his words were flung back at him. "It doesn't have to be just one night, Naruto," he replied softly…hopefully…wondering if the blond would give him…no them…another chance to do this again.

"Naruto?" he asked quietly, when nothing was heard from the other boy, slight panic in his voice as he hoped he hadn't pissed him off. "Naruto, you don't have to…"

The light snore interrupted his hasty words and Sasuke felt his heart swell with the depth of his feelings for his partner. He stared at the boy in peaceful repose for a long minute and then leaned forward a little to place a tender kiss on Naruto's forehead. Reaching for the blanket (they had kicked it to the floor earlier) Sasuke pulled it over them and snuggled against Naruto's warmth.

He had no fucking idea how things would be come morning, but for now, Sasuke was determined to savor this intimate moment, for as long as he could, and add it to his ever growing collection of memories…

… of the one he _loved._


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes: **What a day yesterday. I was so distraught with the loss of Michael Jackson, I couldn't concentrate much and didn't really feel like posting anything, so my apologies to those who waited for this and got nothing. I was a big fan of his and I'll miss him so, so, so much. May he rest in peace.

Hopefully, the chapter will uplift a few spirits.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen:**

Naruto lifted heavy lashes slowly, experiencing mingled sensations of residual weariness, a dull soreness, dried stickiness, the urgent need to pee, the solid feel of a body pressed against his back, the light tickle of fingers against his stomach…warm (and not altogether unpleasant) breathing against the nape of his neck, and the musky scent that he was all too familiar with. For a moment, his mind refused to register what memory was slowly forcing him to, but as the body behind him pressed even closer, Naruto's face flamed with uncontrollable heat. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to will his pounding heart to stop beating so fast.

Was Sasuke awake?

_Oh, shit…I can't look at him. I won't be able to without remembering…_

…every single detail of what had transpired last night. His body was beginning to tingle as flashbacks of Sasuke's sweet torture replayed in his mind. The boy had taken him to heights of pleasure he never thought he could ever experience, and Naruto was embarrassed to admit that he had loved every single minute of it…pain included. He caught his lower lip between his teeth to prevent himself from moaning at the obvious bulge that was pressed against his ass and lower back. The overwhelming urge to want to do it again threatened to consume him, but realizing that it wouldn't exactly be conducive, and not to forget he was still feeling a bit sore…

_It's gonna be a bitch to fight today._

…Naruto knew he'd have to curb his overzealous libido and force himself out of this tempting situation to regain control of his thoughts again.

The problem now was maneuvering his way out of Sasuke's embrace without rousing the other boy from his sleep. Naruto eyed the arm draped around his waist, thankful that Sasuke wasn't really clutching him too tight or that would have made things more difficult. Sucking in a deep breath, Naruto placed his hands upon the arm and began to push it aside slowly….carefully…

He froze as Sasuke murmured something unintelligible and relaxed as the boy soon fell silent again. Feeling more confident, Naruto pushed the arm a bit higher and gingerly slid further away from the warmth that seemed to beckon him to return. So engrossed was he in sliding backwards, he forgot to gauge the distance to the edge of the bed and ended up falling on his ass with a painful thump. He stiffened again as Sasuke twisted and turned on the bed, before rising to his hands and knees to peek over the top to see what his captain was doing. Sasuke was now lying flat on his back, an arm over his stomach and the other reaching for the pillow that had once held Naruto's head.

For a long minute, Naruto stared at the relaxed features, noticing the way Sasuke's hair lay tousled and uneven across his forehead and cheeks. He had never really noticed that the boy's lashes were that long, neither had he noticed the slight (barely visible actually) crook of his nose – results from all his fights no doubt. And then there were those lips…those delicious, tasty, and sinful lips that could send Naruto melting into a pile of mush whether he was being kissed or spoken to in that husky fuck-me voice. His gaze traveled down to the strong jaw and neck, the pulse within the hollow beating in time with the steady rise and fall of his chest. Without realizing he was licking his lips, Naruto panned down the flat torso and to the light tuft of hair leading to Sasuke's very well endowed…

"All right, that's it. Go now before you do something you'll regret, Uzumaki Naruto," he hissed to himself, stumbling to his feet and darting into the bathroom with the frantic hope that he could make his escape in time.

* * *

Sasuke awakened to a loud clatter and a muffled curse. He opened his eyes albeit blearily to see what the commotion was about. Turning to his left, he noticed Suigetsu trying to fix back the lamp he had knocked to the floor…and he wasn't doing a particularly good job as the shade kept falling off in an askew manner.

"Goddamn cheap lamps," Suigetsu muttered, only to feel the gaze on him. He looked up and into the visage of his captain, managing to look both sheepish and frustrated at the same time. "Sorry, Sasuke. Didn't mean to wake you up."

The dark-haired boy gave a small nod and sat up carefully, not needing to know that he was alone and that Naruto's bed was empty. He felt a heavy sensation in the pit of his stomach – a deep worry and concern that Naruto had awakened this morning with regret and disgust at what had happened after all. Wasn't there a saying that things always looked so much more different after a night's sleep? How naïve had he been to assume another fantasy of his would have happened…that he'd wake up to Naruto hugging him so tight and never wanting to let go, or Naruto whispering 'good morning, Sasuke' and allowing him to have a quickie before they began their day.

_Dream on, Uchiha Sasuke. It's a new day, and it's time to face reality. _

He struggled to control his overwhelming disappointment and turned to Suigetsu. "What time is it?"

"Six forty-five," Suigetsu replied as he dug through his bag to find his towel and toiletries. "Where's Naruto? Didn't he come back last night?"

_Oh, he came back all right._

"I…I think he did. I don't know. I fell asleep early."

"Hn."

"And what about you? Where were you last night?" As if he needed to ask. Suigetsu's blush was a dead giveaway as he began to strip out of his clothes, hardly caring if Sasuke saw him naked or not.

"Karin was lonely."

Sasuke would have laughed if it wasn't for dull pang of awareness that filled his heart.

_Loneliness. _

He was definitely no stranger to that emotion, and he realized that it was something that had been a constant from the moment Itachi was old enough to leave the house. He might have been surrounded by his family and friends, but he had always been a loner, becoming more reserved with his emotions and unwilling to let anyone get too close to him. Was that why he had sought Naruto? Had he hoped to find someone just like him…someone who knew what it meant to be alone and who could fill the dark void that had threatened to consume him? Beneath the anger and uncouth mannerisms, Sasuke had seen the lonely boy who seemed to be crying for attention - a boy who sought to be loved and needed again. Naruto's presence in his life had completed that void, and after last night's intimacy…Sasuke never felt more connected with anyone in his life. The ache in his heart worsened as he dreaded losing Naruto now. If the blond dared to suggest that things were over between them…

"Sasuke?"

He looked up and into Suigetsu's bewildered countenance. "Wha…what?"

"You okay? Might be my imagination, but it looked like you were about to cry or something."

A blush of embarrassment flooded the boy's face and he forced himself to look impassive. "I'm fine. Just…thinking of a nightmare I had." _Boy, are the lies flying out fast and furious this morning. _"Hurry up and use the bathroom already. I need to get dressed too."

"Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on…although it looks like you don't sleep in them." Suigetsu's chuckle was muffled as he shut the bathroom door behind him, leaving Sasuke to flop back on the bed with an arm over his eyes.

He groaned as Naruto's scent overwhelmed his senses, and cradling the pillow to his chest, he closed his eyes and tried to cling on to the memory of last night.

_Where are you, Naruto? Just where the fuck are you?_

* * *

Tossing the empty box of orange juice into the nearby trashcan, Naruto belched and leaned back on the wrought iron bench, closing his eyes as he allowed himself to enjoy the cool early morning breeze. Dawn came in beautiful purples and muted orange, showering his refuge (the hotel's courtyard/garden) with its presence. Only a few other patrons were awake, including the hotel staff that ran around like bees trying to get things ready for another long and hectic day.

Combined feelings of nerves and the impending matches as well as last night's events, had him rubbing his stomach gently to ease the gnawing tension steadily building. Jumping to his feet, he paced around restlessly, did a few stretches…and paced around again like a caged beast. He couldn't stand still…_didn't_ want to stand still for fear that even allowing himself to think too much about Sasuke would result in him losing control, his focus and most importantly, his goddamn mind. After his quick shower, he had found himself staring at the sleeping boy as if mesmerized, hungry eyes eating up every inch of Sasuke as if hoping he wouldn't vanish before his eyes. It was a weird mix of possessiveness and obsession. It really was a scary feeling.

"Oh, God." He groaned and plopped back onto another bench, burying his heated features within his hands as another random memory of the way Sasuke had trailed kisses down his stomach and to his cock where he had proceeded to…

"Argh! Stop thinking about it!"

"Stop thinking about what?"

Naruto lowered his hands and looked up and into the smiling visage of…

"Haku? What are you doing here?"

The boy blushed faintly. "I'm an early riser as well. Do you mind if I join you?"

Naruto shifted to make room on the bench, idly noticing that Haku looked even more girly without the ponytail. Even if he was dressed in casual clothes of jeans and a simple t-shirt, it didn't make him any more masculine….and he smelled kinda sweet too.

_Oh, man. Now I'm drifting way into homo territory, _Naruto thought with mild panic. _At this rate, I'll soon start checking out guys butts and wondering just how big their packages are…_

"You look troubled," Haku observed softly. "Are you worried about the fights today?"

_If only you knew._ "Not really," Naruto replied with a smile. "I'm sure we'll do well. So no problems there."

Haku gave a soft giggle. "I have no doubt. Your school is quite strong and we're yet to even see the main attraction. Mr. Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto's heart skipped a beat._ His name alone…Jesus! His name alone makes me feel so…so…_

"Naruto?"

"What is it, Haku?"

Haku leaned even closer to him. "Are you okay?"

_No…no I'm not. Because I… _

"I love him," he whispered, more to himself than to the boy beside him. His hands were clasped tightly to control his trembling, gaze trained on the grass beneath their feet as it hit him all at once. When he had told Sasuke that he'd be willing to let him know about his real emotions once the tournament was over, he was still on the fence, still unwilling to admit that he could ever find himself giving his heart to a fellow boy like himself. However, he had felt something last night…something much deeper than Sasuke's cock penetrating him (as crude as that was). It sounded corny and cheesy…almost way too cliché, but damn it…Sasuke had made him _feel_ again and that emotion was so freakin' intense, it made him want to cry. Sasuke had changed him in more ways than one – had tapped into a part of him that he never thought he could show.

"I love him, Haku…" Why he was confessing this to the other boy, he had no idea, but there was something warm and reassuring about the Iwata student. Naruto felt as if he could pour out his soul to him and he'd understand.

"Of course you do," came the quiet response. "I could tell when you two were together yesterday."

Naruto slid a glance at his companion. "Why? Did we send off gay vibes or something?"

Haku chuckled. "Don't be silly. You don't have to send off 'gay' vibes for one to know you care about someone else. It was in the little things you did yesterday, that I'm sure you didn't even realize you were doing."

Naruto's look must have been a puzzled one, for Haku smiled and continued. "You two would look at each other when you thought the other wasn't paying attention…and there was warmth in your eyes, Naruto. I must confess…I felt …jealous."

"Of me?"

"Not you per se…but of being able to feel this way for someone else and have it reciprocated. I want to have someone like that in my life…but…with what has happened now…I think he'll hate me for the rest of his life." Haku lowered his gaze, his long hair blocking his face from view.

Naruto -who never thought he'd end up having to be a love doctor or advisor or anything - considering his track record for relationships- found himself curious all the same. "Have you told him how you feel?"

Haku shook his head, refusing to look up. "It will be impossible anyway."

"What? He's out of town…the country? You don't have his cell number or email or…"

"Sai…"

"What's that?"

Haku looked up, his cheeks ruddy as he confessed quietly. "It's Sai."

The blond blinked. "Sai? _Our _Sai? From Konoha…but you just met him yesterday!"

Haku shook his head. "No…I actually met him about a year ago during the summer break. But there was a slight problem…"

"What?"

"He thought I was a girl."

"Well who wouldn't with the way you look…no offense."

"None taken." Haku twiddled his thumbs like a kid caught stealing from a cookie jar. "I don't want you to assume I'm a transvestite or anything, but I do like to wear kimonos that look…that might look feminine…it's comfortable for me," he added quickly as if defending himself and hoping Naruto wouldn't laugh.

"Hey, what you choose to do in the privacy of your bedroom or life is your business," Naruto said, raising his hands as if in surrender. "I'm just the listener here."

Haku looked as if he wanted to laugh or cry or both, but settled for sighing instead. "Anyway, Sai thought I was a girl and treated me as such. I couldn't tell him I was a guy. He was so nice and kind to me…teaching me how to draw a few things or make sculpture from the sands on the beach or…" His voice drifted away as memories of the time spent with the other fighter filled his mind. "…but I wanted more," he finally continued. "I was falling for him, Naruto, and one night while strolling down the beach, I couldn't control myself and…and…"

"You forced him to make out with you?"

"Not really…I kissed him…and was happy he began to respond…and we were really getting into it until he…well…discovered I wasn't really a girl."

"So what?" Naruto asked bemused. "Sai likes guys. You'd think he'd be ripping your clothes off and fucking your brains out…sorry…I mean…eh…have sex with you."

Haku flushed. "I think it was the knowledge that I had been lying to him that really turned him off. Oh, I don't know…" He shook his head slowly. "I just remember how shocked he was even as I tried to apologize and explain and tell him how I felt, but he wouldn't listen. He walked away and never looked back."

"And you just had to fight him in the first round, didn't you? That sucks."

"Don't you think I'm aware of the irony? I wanted him to win…but you saw my coach…"

Naruto scoffed. "That guy should be shot. Sorry. I know he's your coach and all but geez…what a bastard."

"Zabuza can be intense," Haku agreed with a weak smile. "He just expects the best out of us, that's all."

"Whatever." Naruto leaned back on the bench and stared into the heavens, Haku's story swirling in his mind as he tried to make sense of how complicated and painful love could really be. Sai must have never gotten over that betrayal and latched onto Sasuke who ended up not really reciprocating his feelings. It was like a train wreck, having one's emotions toyed around so much. Naruto was sure if he was in Sai's shoes, he'd never get over the losses and disappointments that seemed to surround him.

"Say…Haku…"

"Hmm?"

"Sai's gonna be in a wheelchair for a while…"

The other boy winced and opened his mouth to say something, however his words caught in his throat as he noticed the warm smile directed at him.

"Our coach can't push him around all the time…and I'm sure Sai will want to watch some matches so…he's gonna need someone to move him about."

"What…what are you suggesting?"

"You know what I'm suggesting. Don't make me spell it out."

Haku gave a blush that made him look shy and beautiful, and Naruto found himself fighting the urge to reach out to caress that pale cheek or worse place a kiss on those lips that looked so soft.

"But…he hates me…"

"Sure he does. I hated Sasuke too and look how we both turned out."

Haku smiled and seemed to straighten up, taking a deep breath as if drawing strength from somewhere unseen. "You really think I should do it?"

"Hey, what's the worse that can happen? He'll hit you with his crutches or tell you to fuck off, but you just keep coming back and pestering him until he lets up." _Like someone I know._

Haku's smile widened and before he knew what was happening, Naruto was engulfed in a bear hug, which had him laughing softly.

"Thank you, Naruto," came the heartfelt whisper. Haku pulled back a little and this time placed a quick but tender kiss on the blond's lips. "I'll definitely give it a try and hope it works out."

He rose to his feet and stretched his arms over his head. "I do hope things work out between you and Sasuke too. Does he know you feel that way about him?"

Naruto smiled and tried to control the flutter of butterflies in his stomach. "Not yet…soon though."

"Well hurry up then," the other boy said with a giggle. "He won't be waiting for you forever, you know. Good luck with your matches today. I'll be rooting for you."

He waved and disappeared into the hotel, leaving Naruto to watch after him with amusement. He wondered how he was always able to act like the good guy for someone else when his life was still pretty much fucked up…at least in getting his emotions in check.

_Tell him as soon as you can…he won't be waiting forever, eh?_

He took a deep breath and tried to psych himself up. "Just…call him aside…and then…and then tell him straight up, that's all. It can't be too hard, can it? I mean…just say …'hey, Sasuke, I've decided to tell you how I feel now because who knows? One of us might be killed in this tournament and I won't get the chance to tell you how I really feel before it's too late and then…' Urgh! Who the fuck am I kidding? Just cut to the chase and …"

"Naruto!" Karin's bellow echoed across the garden as she waved for him to get into the building. "Hurry up! Practice!"

* * *

Simply put – practice was torture.

This was not in reference to any actual pain from their light sparring, but from the knowledge that something had definitely changed between them. Last night had been the final stage in the 'courtship' and the aftermath was proving to be even more nerve wracking than once imagined. The problem all started with Naruto bounding into the room with eagerness and anticipation, only for him to catch those now all too familiar dark eyes that stripped him down to the core in one fell swoop.

Talk about getting the wind knocked out of your sails.

Karin had asked if he was getting the flu as he looked kinda 'hot and bothered', while Suigetsu – ever the wiseass tactician – had laughed saying 'those two definitely did each other last night' which earned him a swift kick on the shin from Sasuke that sent him toppling to the floor.

They barely spoke to each other during the hour warm-up session, and struggled not to get too close together for fear one of them would go up in flames or something…at least Naruto hoped he wouldn't. Sure he had sounded confident with Haku's encouragement, but being in front of Sasuke was a whole other matter. The three words seemed lodged in his throat and he couldn't get over the fact that he could end up botching things or saying it in such a weird way, it would make the situation laughable.

A sudden clap of Kakashi's hands broke his troubling thoughts. "All right, Team Taka. Let's head out."

"I'll push Sai," Karin offered as she moved towards their teammate, who had been watching them while sketching at the same time. If he still felt bitter about the way things had gone, he was doing a fine job of keeping it all to himself. One could only imagine how his emotions were being stretched at his inability to be a part of an event he had trained so hard for.

"Thanks, Karin," he began quietly, only to stiffen as he noticed the person standing and waiting for them in the corridor.

"Hey, Haku," Naruto greeted cheerfully, giving a quick wink as the other boy looked incredibly nervous and worried. "What are you doing here? Come to see us off?"

"I…I…." Words seemed to fail him, and he bowed again, keeping his gaze trained on the floor as he spoke in a rush. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a bother but…but I was hoping that you'd allow me to be Sai's guide to…today. I mean to pu…push his wheelchair…if he wants me to…"

"Let's go, sensei," Sai cut in rudely. "We're going to be late."

"But he wants to help out," Naruto said. "And besides, he gave you that herb thingy that you drank this morning, so why won't you let him…?"

"Get out of my way, Naruto," came the low threat. "I'll push myself." True to his word, Sai began to maneuver the wheelchair with his hands, trying to get past the members of his team who were watching the events unfold with interest.

"Geez, Sai, why are you being such a…!"

"It's okay, Naruto," Haku interrupted quietly. He tried to smile but there was a noticeable strain on his features…the tears welling up in his eyes again. "I knew it would be…be like this and…and…at least I gave it a shot…right?"

_Haku…_

"Sorry I wasted everyone's time…I'll be going now…"

He turned to leave, but Kakashi's voice stopped him. "I will need someone to take care of him when the fights begin. You still haven't mastered how to use the chair yet, Sai. So…Haku…I don't mind you joining us…"

"Sensei!" Sai gasped with indignation. "I don't need him…!"

"Sai." It was a firm command even though the older man was smiling. "Allow him."

"Then I'm not coming."

"That's your choice, Sai. I'll still have Haku stay with you, so you might as well get used to him being around. Everyone else, ready?"

They spun around to leave, but not before Naruto looked over his shoulder to notice Sai glaring at Haku, who was smiling despite the anger directed at him.

_Amazing. He's still happy despite the fact that Sai will most likely kill him at the end of the day. _

He could vaguely hear Sai's threat of 'touch me and I'll run you over', when Sasuke's low voice halted his thoughts and sent his heartbeat into overdrive.

"You ran away, Naruto."

Blushing to the roots of his hair, he shook his head quickly. "No…no I didn't….I just…"

Sasuke, who hadn't been looking at him per se, now slid him a glance that seemed to be a mixture of annoyance and sadness. He said nothing else as he stepped into the elevator and moved as far away from Naruto as possible. The blond would have made his way towards him, but Haku had pushed Sai into the elevator, successfully separating the two of them.

Any other real chance at a private conversation was thwarted as the frenzy of getting ready for the semi-finals took precedence. There was the short drive to the auditorium…the sign-ins…the meeting of excited family and friends who all wanted to take a gazillion pictures (Naruto's side unfortunately as Ms. Fuyutsuki seemed determined to make a scrapbook of this special occasion). Karin introduced the team to her grandmother – who really didn't look like a grandma at all, but quite young for her supposed age - while Juugo's girl had showed up to wish him luck. Sai's older brother was in the building as well – having come all the way from Brazil (he was involved in an archeological expedition apparently) just to see his kid brother kick ass. However, seeing Sai in the wheelchair was a shocker to the older boy, who acted way too dramatic and emotional much to his kid brother's irritation and embarrassment. For Sasuke, only Mikoto showed up to cheer him on. According to her, Fugaku and Itachi were still on their way to the venue.

"ATTENTION PLEASE. ALL TEAMS IN THE SEMI-FINALS SHOULD MAKE THEIR WAY TO ARENA II. I REPEAT, ALL TEAMS IN THE SEMI-FINALS SHOULD BE IN ARENA II. FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, PLEASE HEAD TO YOUR SEATS IN THE MAIN AUDITORIUM. THANK YOU."

Tons of 'good lucks' came their way. Kisses and hugs were exchanged and soon enough, the fighters found themselves in the familiar waiting room/arena. Unlike yesterday when it had been filled with students of all shapes and sizes, the remaining eight schools now made it seem sparse and almost empty.

"By tomorrow, only two will remain," Suigetsu said, rubbing his hands together in glee. "Where are our opponents?"

"If you mean that team in blue glaring at us, then I guess they're the Iwaki students," Karin replied, shivering at the group of ugly-looking boys (there was no girl on the team) eyeing them.

Naruto's gaze drifted over the rest of the fighters, noticing that Team Cloud was in a surprisingly quiet mood today. He had waved at Omoi earlier, but the boy was either too lethargic or hadn't even noticed. Team Sand was again in a circle, neither members speaking to each other as Gaara seemed to be dozing off with his eyes closed and arms folded across his chest. Akatsuki …nothing new there either besides the fact that Pein was nowhere to be seen. He must have been staring hard enough for Konan, who looked like she was meditating, lifted her gaze to meet his.

Unsmiling, she rose to her feet and turned away, causing Naruto to bristle at the obvious brush off.

_Damn bitch._

"If I may have your attention please!" It was the bullhorn announcer again. "First off, congratulations for being the final eight!" Another smattering of applause and some 'whoo hoos!' broke out. "As you can well imagine, everyone is excited to see your matches, so let's put on a good show, eh? All right, first we have the protocol…you match out there when you're introduced and etc. etc. You'll return back to this room when the speeches are done. The first teams will then be announced and both schools are to make their way to the auditorium again. Unlike the last two rounds, there is no time limit and you're free to fight until your opponent is either thrown out of the ring, knocked unconscious - no killing please if you can help it - or surrenders. Two wins decides the winner…third match is required if there is a tie…and if there's still a tie after that…as in if after a while no fighters seem to be letting up, judges will stop the fight and award the winner based on skill and points accumulated. Understood?"

Murmurs of 'yes' broke out and this seemed to satisfy the speaker. "So without further ado…let's get this started and good luck fighters!"

They were in the second block, which meant they'd have to wait for the first four schools to finish their fights. Although they weren't allowed in the auditorium, a large screen had been set up in the arena for fighters interested in watching the goings on.

The first match was between Team Cloud and Team Hebi, and for the first time, Naruto got to watch his friend in action. Omoi was first on the stage, and Naruto couldn't help smiling as he noticed his friend hadn't changed that crouching stance of his over the years. Lightning fast moves, punches and kicks thrown at breakneck speed defined the match. Team Hebi was no slouch, but Cloud was even better prepared. They seemed to have a technique that involved using their hands as 'knives' or 'swords'. They would slash through the air or at their opponents with ki-induced blows, which could be deadly if not controlled properly.

He cheered as Cloud won with just two matches – Omoi and Karui's. Both seemed like a good pair. However it was the next teams set to fight that had everyone in the arena (and main auditorium) perking up with attention. Naruto could feel his insides tightening with nerves as Akatsuki and Shinsengumi were announced. As if pulled by an invisible cord, his gaze met Sasuke's and held for a long moment. They both knew this was a match they were going to pay close attention to…everything else that hung like a cloud between them would have to be dealt with later.

"Good fight, brother," Naruto saluted as he gave Omoi a hug of congratulations.

The dark-skinned boy laughed and shrugged. "No problem, brother. However, I've got to watch the next fight. One of them could be my next opponent."

Naruto nodded in understanding and both boys stood side-by-side to watch the events unfold on the screen.

Shinsengumi looked impressive with their light purple gi and darker-colored headbands, but there was no denying the awe-inspiring aura that seemed to engulf their opponents in black. First up to the ring was Deidara and a long-haired boy from the opposing side. After the sound of the gong to begin the match, the Shinsengumi fighter dashed towards him with a loud yell, much to Deidara's amusement apparently. The blond dodged effectively each time, almost toying with the other boy who was getting more and more frustrated with each missed punch or kick.

"I should end this quick," Deidara finally said, grinning as he saw the opening he sought. "I want to see Konoha fight and don't have the time for this."

In a swift move, Deidara reached out and seemed to slap his hand over his opponent's face. Those in the arena – or better yet – those with more fighting experience, were able to see the dull glow of ki being transferred directly into Deidara's hand. The Shinsengumi fighter gave a loud howl of anguish, and his hands, which had formed fists initially, suddenly became slack and lifeless. Not quite done yet, Deidara licked his lips and with a lift of his knee, sent it hard into the other boy's stomach – so hard that he barely blinked at the spatter of blood that splashed on his face from the boy's mouth. Unceremoniously, he dumped the comatose fighter to the floor and stepped back, licking his lips again to taste the blood there.

"Mmm…yummy. Hey! I'm all done here," he announced to the referee who looked sick at what had just transpired.

"That bastard," Naruto growled. "That sick, twisted piece of shit!"

"Let me at him," Suigetsu responded with a look of excitement on his features. "I want a piece of that blond dickhead."

"Not if I get him first," Omoi bragged, although there was a pensive look on his features. "He's good but we're better."

Naruto wasn't buying it. He was worried as hell. "He's not to be taken lightly, Omoi. You'll have to be…"

"Shut up everyone," Sasuke interrupted quietly, hardly betraying the knots forming in his stomach. "It's not over yet."

They turned to the screen as Konan and a pretty girl from the opposing side stepped into the ring.

After the gong went off, both girls didn't move for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, the Shinsengumi fighter performed a neat back flip, her intention to probably kick Konan with those long legs of hers, but the Akatsuki member was ready. She clamped both hands around the flipping girl's ankles and with a light grunt, sent her flying across the ring…but not completely out of it.

The girl was trying to get up from the sudden journey she had just taken, when she screamed in pain as she felt the bone crushing blow on her back. Konan wrapped an arm around her neck and squeezed tightly, whispering into her ear.

"Give up now or I'll snap it like a twig."

The girl seemed to want to fight, but another tight squeeze threatened to block her airflow passage, and she was finally forced to lift a trembling hand in surrender, tears of frustration escaping her eyes as she was released.

"Winners….Akatsuki!" The referee bellowed.

"Shit." Naruto paced away from the screen, noticing that Yugito, Samui and Karui had been watching with interest as well.

"Well looks like we get them next," Yugito finally said as she nodded towards her team mates. "Let's head off to practice a little more, okay?"

"Don't go too far," the announcer guy stated as he walked into the room. "We don't want to start searching for you all when the time comes."

Akatsuki walked into the room first, with Deidara looking smug and quite pleased with himself as he eyed the room of fighters who watched them warily. "What? What's with all the pissed off faces? Too awed by our fighting skills to say anything? You should be shaking in your boots. You should be…"

"Akatsuki scum!" came the sudden yell from a Shinsengumi fighter who hadn't gotten his chance to fight. He ran towards Deidara with a fist formed to punch him, when Sasori suddenly appeared between them in a flash to block the attack.

"It's over," Sasori said quietly, even though his eyes spoke volumes with a warning. "Let it go."

"You don't scare me!" the other boy huffed and with a growl, thrust out both hands to shove Sasori away from him. A wave of energy must have been sent because the redhead was thrown a good distance away. His normally 'innocent' features darkened with fury and he made a dash for the Shinsengumi fighter only to find his arms caught and held above his head by a much faster newcomer.

"Like you said…it's over. Let it go." Kakashi smiled at the scowl he received, and waiting until he was sure Sasori wouldn't go berserk, he released the Akatsuki fighter. Sasori brushed off himself as if wanting to get rid of the teacher's touch and without saying another word, he walked towards Kisame, who had been watching the events from his position against the wall.

"You should have let them fight, sensei," Suigetsu said with a sneer. "Let that Shinsengumi fighter wear him out."

"Good plan," Kakashi admitted, "but…we should be paying attention to the next match. We could be fighting either one of them."

Sure enough, Team Sand and Team Kyo were making their way into the ring. The Konoha fighters were glued to the screen, eager to see a technique or two they could combat against when the time came.

Temari was up first – her opponent, a rather lanky boy from the opposing team, who called himself Kitsune. After the gong was heard, Temari was quick to launch an attack. She seemed to spin around with dizzying speed and no one saw her extend a leg to send Kitsune flying across the ring. A collective 'ooh' of appreciation filled the auditorium, and the girl would have smiled at the adulation, if it wasn't for the sudden sharp hot pain that raced up her raised leg. Her eyes widened and she buckled to her knees, wincing as she noticed Kitsune chuckling from his crouched position.

"I knew you were going to do that," he said. "So I hit your ki channels with my finger." He raised his skinny hand and for a second, Temari's wavering gaze could have sworn they looked like needles.

"I'm not done yet, you freak," she panted and staggered to her feet. She had noticed Shikamaru in the crowd and there was no way she was going to lose in front of him. Swallowing the pain, she leapt into the air and prepared to deliver a hammer kick with her good leg. However, she fooled Kitsune into thinking she was coming directly for him and twisted in the air to deliver the crushing blow to his unprotected ribcage. His grunt of pain was music to her ears. She fell to the floor and would have moved again, when the pain wracked through her body again.

_Not good. I can't move my right leg anymore. Shit!_

Kitsune, who was nursing his aching side, glared at the girl with venom in his eyes. He rose to his feet and dashed towards her to finish off the fight, but was stunned as she slid out of the way, and with every ounce of strength left in her, she thrust her left leg upwards, catching him off guard and subsequently sending him tumbling out of the ring.

In the waiting room, Naruto applauded. "Yeah, Temari! That was awesome!" However, his enthusiasm wavered as a close up shot of the girl, obviously in pain and motioning for help, had him frowning in concern. Medics were quick to rush up to the ring to lift her out in a stretcher as the auditorium burst into thunderous applause at the brave girl's battle and win.

"Geez, what are they so happy about?" Deidara mused aloud in disgust. "What a wimpy way to win."

Naruto opened his mouth to give the blond a piece of his mind but Kakashi silenced him with a shake of his head. No need to start another argument when the match was yet to be completed.

Up next was Yashamaru, who honestly looked as if he couldn't hurt a fly. However, if his quick disposal of his opponent was any indication, the smiling fighter from Sand was not to be toyed with. His opponent had to be carried out in a stretcher as well.

"Damn…they're good," Karin muttered. "And we didn't even get to see the other three, especially Goth boy."

"Either way, we're up next!" Suigetsu enthused as he cracked his knuckles and rotated his neck.

Naruto was so excited, he was literally trembling with adrenaline. He caught Sasuke's eyes and smiled as he noticed that their captain looked just as eager to get started. When their school was called, they walked into an auditorium buzzing with excitement. Naruto could clearly hear the Konoha cheering section as their names were called out. Resisting the urge to wave back or do something stupid, he obediently followed the matching referees, bowed to the grandmasters and waited to see if he'd be chosen to fight for this round. Secretly, he hoped not, as the effects of last night were still evident even though he had managed not to give away his discomfort so far.

Kakashi tapped his notebook and pursed his lips in thought. Finally, "Sasuke?"

"Yes, sensei?"

"Feel like getting a quick warm up?"

The dark-haired boy gave a small smirk at the knowing look in his teacher's eyes. He shrugged and then nodded. "Sure. I'll go first."

"Good. Next up…Juugo…and if needed…Karin."

"What?" Suigetsu hissed. "How come I sit this out?"

"Because I said so."

"Fighters for the first match please step into the ring!"

Sasuke took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His parents and Itachi were in the auditorium – the first thing he had looked out for when he walked in. Although he knew he was good, and really had nothing to prove to his father or brother, he still had to put on a good show. Lifting his lashes, he eyed his opponent who didn't look like he would pose much of a problem despite his bulky build and bigger musculature. All the same…

"Kick his ass, Sasuke," came the warm cheer from Naruto who was smiling at him in a way that made his cheeks darken with color.

_Keeping smiling that way for me, Naruto and I'll kick everyone and anyone's ass you want me to._

"I don't need you to tell me that," he managed to mutter, ignoring the other good luck wishes that came his way as he allowed only Naruto's words and smile to propel him towards the other fighter.

"Ready?...Begin!"

"You're dead meat, pretty boy," came the first growl from the Neanderthal . "Prepare to eat my fist."

_How fast do I do this?_ Sasuke thought with an inner sigh. If he won too easily, it wouldn't seem fair to the people that came to watch, but still…the guy was really beginning to grate on his nerves, and he smelled like rotten eggs too.

"Raaaaarrr!" The bigger boy charged for him, and with a light grunt, Sasuke leapt into the air to dodge the impending attack. He must have apparently moved so fast that the fighter couldn't control his speed and would have fallen out of the ring, if it wasn't for Sasuke moving again to force him back in with a solid kick to the boy's stomach.

"Geez. This isn't even worth a warm up," he grumbled as the other boy wheezed and tried to catch his breath. "Are you going to stand up or not?" he asked irritably.

"Shu…shut up, faggot!" came the panted insult, which was all it took for Sasuke to have enough.

With a smirk, he scoffed aloud. "Faggot, eh? You wish you could tap this ass."

And with a kick laced with ki, Sasuke sent his opponent flying out of the ring and into the first few rows of seats occupied by some important looking dignitaries. He lowered his leg and clasped his hands together to bow before the grandmasters. He was done with this farce.

"Oh my God, you were so cooooool!" Karin squealed in delight as Sasuke jumped off the stage to join his teammates. The auditorium had broken into raucous applause, and a quick glance at his parents' section showed that they too approved. He could be imagining things, but Sasuke was sure his father had a small smile on his face even though he hadn't clapped like Mikoto or Itachi.

"Good job, Sasuke. What was he saying to you up there anyhow?" Suigetsu asked.

Sasuke shook his head as he met Naruto's excited blue eyes. "Nothing. Just rambling shit about…stuff. How did I do, Naruto?"

"Heh. You were too slow, dipshit."

"Fuck you too," Sasuke said with a chuckle, ignoring the butterflies in his stomach as the teasing insult seemed to take on a whole new meaning. Naruto must have known it too because he suddenly found Juugo interesting enough to cheer for him overzealously.

They needn't have worried much as Juugo won his match fairly easily. He did get a scratch from his opponent, but nothing too life-threatening.

"Whooo! We did it!" Naruto yelled in delight as the referees converged with the grandmasters from some reason or another.

Finally, the head referee walked out to the middle of the ring and raised his hand to get their attention.

"How was that, ladies and gentlemen? Did we get a fantastic display of fighting techniques or what?"

The yells and applause from the audience was deafening.

"And now, I am going to present to you our final four teams for the second half of our semi-finals. First up to the ring…TEAM CLOUD FROM HIRO HIGH SCHOOL!"

Naruto joined in the applause, whistling and cheering for his childhood friend as the four teammates ran out of the waiting room to position themselves in the middle of the ring.

"All right, next up we have AKATSUKI FROM SEIHOU GAKUEN!"

The applause was there, but one could sense that it was more reserved and not as enthusiastic as the others had been. Not that the team seemed to care…especially Deidara who was yucking up the moment with glee as they walked to the ring.

"And next up we have TEAM SAND FROM SEIWA GAKUEN!"

The enthusiasm picked up especially as Temari wasn't there to share in the limelight with her teammates. The applause was also respectful of her absence.

"And last but not least, let's hear it for TEAM TAKA FROM KONOHA HIGH!"

The auditorium seemed to erupt as the five fighters jumped onto the stage to bow in respect to their supporters and fans. Naruto, hardly knowing he was even doing this, had reached out for Sasuke's hand as he waved with enthusiasm at the audience. Sasuke, who was more than aware of this intimate gesture in so public a place, held in his joy and tightened his fingers around Naruto's to return the gentle pressure in understanding and gratitude.

"So there you have it, folks! Your four semi-finalists! Our first match will be TEAM CLOUD VERSUS AKATSUKI and the second match will be TEAM SAND VERSUS TEAM TAKA! The matches will begin in an hour, ladies and gentlemen, so don't go very far or you just might miss the battles of your lives!"


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes:** My sincere thanks again for the feedback! We have about two more chapters to go...I think.

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen:**

Naruto was the first to ask what was probably on everyone else's mind as they were ushered back into the waiting arena, but not before blushing several shades of red as he realized that he had been holding Sasuke's hand during the short walk. His initial reaction was to withdraw quickly, but one glance at their entwined hands, and a quick peek at Sasuke who seemed lost in his thoughts, had Naruto deciding 'what the hell.' It wasn't as if anyone was paying that much attention, or if they were, they kept their opinions to themselves.

"Where's the guy with no face?" he asked loudly with a nod towards Deidara who was frowning at his fingernails, which by the way, were coated with black nail polish. He was about to raise a finger to his lips to gnaw on it or bite off a hanging nail or something, when he eyed the blond warily.

"You talking to me?"

"Yeah. Where is he?"

Deidara looked as if he was about to throw up, but managed to compose his features. "Who the hell are you talking about, moron?"

"I think he means Pein," Sasori explained quietly, turning to face Naruto. "He's under the weather today, but you can be sure he'll be in the finals."

"Pretty cocky, eh?" Omoi chimed in as he overheard the conversation. "You think you're going to get past us?"

Deidara laughed. "I can't wait to wipe the floor with your face, you over-tanned monkey."

"What the hell did you call me?" Omoi roared, and before anyone could blink, the boy had moved to grab a very surprised Deidara in a chokehold. "Call me monkey again, asshole! I motherfucking dare you!"

"Omoi!" It was Yugito's stern voice that froze the fighters, especially Naruto who had released Sasuke's hand to dash toward his friend. The last thing they needed was a fight here to have them disqualified…not as if he minded Akatsuki getting the boot.

Omoi growled and looked up and into the annoyed features of their team leader. "You heard what he called me. I can't let it go."

"You'll have your chance when the fight starts," Yugito reasoned and turned her icy glare on Deidara who was turning a very nice shade of blue. "You're a waste of life, Deidara, but I'll allow him to let you live for now. Let him go, Omoi. We have to practice."

With a huff, Omoi released the blond Akatsuki member and straightened himself, but not before spitting on the floor, narrowly missing Deidara's foot. With a cold glare, he followed his teammates out of the room, leaving a wheezing and very pissed off Deidara in his wake.

"You had better pair me up with him," the blond said as he eyed Konan. "I want to taste his blood."

The blue-haired girl shrugged and began to walk out of the room, closely followed by Sasori and Deidara in tow. Kisame went last, but turned to eye the Konoha fighters, lips parting in a grin that sent shivers down the other fighters' spines.

"Freak," Naruto hissed beneath his breath. God, how he wanted an opportunity to kick Kisame's ass, but he had promised to leave him to Sasuke. Remembering Sasuke's concern was enough to have his cheeks flooding with color again, and he slid an almost shy glance towards his captain. Sasuke was speaking to Kakashi, and Naruto had to wonder when he was going to bring up the topic about last night again. The accusation of him having 'run away' wasn't a complete lie, but at least Naruto felt he ought to have the opportunity to explain his reason for doing so.

"I'm going to buy a sandwich," Karin announced. "Anyone else want one?"

"I'll come with you," Juugo said quietly.

"Before you take off," Kakashi announced as he and Sasuke approached the group. "I have to set up who fights who in the next round."

"But we don't know who we're going up against," Suigetsu said with a raised brow.

"True," the teacher replied with a nod as he opened his notebook. "However, it's more than likely Gaara will be up as well as Kankurou and then Matsuri…since Temari's gone and Yashamaru fought the last time. "

"Think they'll go with Gaara last or first?" Sasuke asked quietly.

"I'm thinking they'll save him for last if needed. So far, he hasn't fought yet and I'm sure he's dying to get his hands dirty…technically speaking. Anyway, Suigetsu you're going first and then I want you Naruto…"

"Uuum…."

"What is it now?"

All eyes seemed trained on the now flushed and embarrassed blond who was finding an area on the opposite wall quite fascinating. "I don't think I'll be able to fight…yet…"

Kakashi looked bemused. However, it was Karin who asked aloud. "Why not? You look perfectly fine to me."

"Yeah," Suigetsu added, trying not to smirk. "What's the problem, Naruto? Chickening out?"

"No, I'm not!" came the indignant response. "I'm just feeling a bit sor…._sorry_ for not being able to fight this round," he finished lamely, now feeling as if he was burning and unable to look at Sasuke for fear he'd be laughing at him. This was all his fault anyway.

Suigetsu, on the other hand, was more than happy to do all the laughing required. He couldn't help it. His theories were right after all and he couldn't wait to tease the two boys about the consummation of their relationship. Oh, tonight was going to be a blast.

"What's so funny?" Karin asked with a frown of growing impatience. "Why can't Naruto…?"

"Fine," Kakashi interrupted, after staring at the blond for a long minute before seeming to come to a conclusion. "Suigetsu first, Juugo and then Sasuke if needed. Go grab something to eat and be back here in half an hour."

"Hey!" Karin looked upset. "What's everyone…?"

"Come on, babe," Suigetsu drawled, as he threw an arm over her shoulder to lead her out of the room. "Let's go and I'll tell you everything…"

"Suigetsu!" Naruto hissed, shaking his head rapidly. Whatever else he would have said was interrupted as Sasuke moved to block his path.

"I think we need to talk, Naruto." It wasn't exactly a request and before Naruto could come up with a retort, Sasuke was leading the way out of the room but not towards the main lobby. He pushed open a door Naruto hadn't even noticed and began to climb a flight of stairs quickly. A push of another door and they were standing on a balcony, looking out and below a much quieter part of the parking lot. Naruto leaned over the stone railing and closed his eyes, appreciating the warm sun on his features and the cool breeze against his flesh.

"Feels good," he moaned, only to gasp as he was suddenly pulled into Sasuke's arms, and his lips seized in a kiss that caused a flood of last night's events to fill his mind in a heady rush.

His moan became louder as he parted his lips to allow Sasuke's tongue in, a hand reaching out to thread through the dark hair, while the other clutched the front of his gi tightly.

Sasuke finally pulled away slowly, panting breathlessly as he eyed his handiwork with smug delight. "You ran away this morning," he finally whispered against the moist, warm and slightly swollen lips before him. "Why?"

"I was hungry," came the hasty and not altogether false reply. "Still…aren't you going to ask how I feel today?"

"You're still sore, so?"

"S…So?" Naruto tried to push off the smirking boy. "Goddamnit, did you forget we had fights today? What if Karin or Juugo had been hurt…?"

"I would have fought on your behalf," Sasuke mumbled, his lips trailing down to nuzzle Naruto's neck, restless hands roaming down his back and down to his ass to cup it gently. "Do you want me to kiss it and make it all better?"

Naruto turned beet red and tried to push off Sasuke again, cursing his traitorous body for its aroused reaction to everything Sasuke was doing to him. "We sho…should be focusing on the matches ahead, goddamnit," he panted. "We have the Sand next and they're no slouches."

Sasuke pulled away again to stare into the dilated blue eyes, a frown on his features. "Do you think we can't beat them?"

"I'm not saying we can't beat them, but geez, we don't even know how Gaara's going to fight. The guy looks dangerous."

Sasuke seemed torn between continuing his conquest of Naruto or dealing with what reality presented. With great reluctance, he settled for the latter, pulling away completely to pace away – more to calm down and will away the boner in his pants. At least one thing was clear; Naruto definitely didn't hate him after last night, so his worries and concerns regarding that were soothed for now.

"Gaara should be no problem," he finally said as he leaned upon the railing to stare blindly at the people below him. "I can handle him just fine. You worry about being un-sore by tomorrow."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "What? You've got a special cream for being un-sore, asshole? I swear next time, I get to be on top…"

Holy shit…had he just said _'next time?'_!

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, a light smirk on his lips. "Next time?"

"Slip of the tongue," came the quick defense.

"A very nice slip, Naruto," Sasuke replied turning around, eyes darkened, amused, and clearly enjoying Naruto's discomfort. "Maybe I will let you top me _next_ _time_. I look forward to it."

"Dream on," the blond mumbled with embarrassment, his heart thumping hard as he imagined just how the next time would be. Spinning on his heels to make his way back into the building, he called over his shoulder. "Hurry up and let's grab something to eat. I'm starved."

"You go on ahead, I'll catch up later."

Naruto paused to glance behind him again, a frown on his features. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Go before I change my mind and…"

"Yeah, yeah, you molest me again. Geez." Naruto snorted. "Hurry up though. Not much time left."

He left with a slam of the door behind him, leaving Sasuke to his thoughts. Sliding to the ground, he prepared to meditate, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Only one more match stood between he and Kisame, and the brief moment his eyes had met the bigger boy's narrow gaze had sent a chill of unwilling fear down his spine. There was something about Kisame that didn't seem…_normal_, and Sasuke knew he'd have to be very careful in the fight or things were bound to get out of hand.

For the meantime, they had the Sand fighters to worry about, especially with Gaara being in the mix. He could only hope that Suigetsu and Juugo took care of business, so he wouldn't have to expend too much energy today. He would definitely need it for the fight with Kisame tomorrow.

One thing was certain though; Konoha would have to get to the next round. They just _had_ to.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later found the fighters back at the arena. Naruto was hovering over Omoi, who was stretching his legs and getting mildly irritated with his blond friend's mother-hen attitude.

"Brother, don't you have faith in me?" Omoi tried to look hurt, pouting and eyeing Naruto. "I can take down any of those freaks."

"I'm not worried, dipshit," Naruto muttered. "Just watch out for that hand of his…if you end up getting to fight Mr. Psycho."

"Warning noted," Omoi replied, jumping to his feet as Samui motioned for him to join the line about to match into the auditorium. He gave Naruto a quick wink and met up with the others, leaving Naruto to watch after him with a pensive look on his features.

"Somehow, I'm hoping he doesn't win," Suigetsu said with a light yawn of weariness. "I want Deidara for myself."

"Omoi will win," Naruto said solemnly, eyes glued on the figure of his friend who seemed to look small as he walked into the auditorium to thunderous applause. He felt queasy and swallowed the bitter taste that filled his mouth.

_Relax. Relax. He'll win. He has to. This is Omoi for fuck's sake. _

"Naruto."

The blond looked up at the sound of his name, slightly surprised to see it was Juugo giving him a small but warm smile. "Your friend…believe in him."

Sasuke, who was sitting beside Juugo, gave a soft nod of agreement. "We should start watching though…I think it's about to start."

Unable to sit, Naruto leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest as he stared at the big screen. The schools were being announced and then the first fighters called into the middle of the ring. It was Yugito versus Sasori. Having never seen the redhead fight, the Konoha fighters were quite interested in seeing what he was capable of.

"FIGHTERS READY?"

They fell into their stances.

" BEGIN!"

Both fighters dashed towards each other at blinding speed, ending up in a loud collision that ricocheted around the auditorium. They spun away from each other, Yugito landing lithely on the tips of her toes, and Sasori sliding into a haunch as he watched the blonde female with narrowed eyes. He barely blinked as he felt the trickle of blood from the cut on his forehead. She felt a dull ache in her upper arm, but gritted her teeth, realizing her opponent must have done something to it.

With a loud grunt, she leapt towards Sasori, arm angled and fingers pointed, a dull glow of ki around her palm as she prepared to strike. Sasori noticed and dodged, but not far enough as he felt her fingernails scrap along his gi. He blinked at the ripping sound soon heard. Yugito's fingers had sliced through his uniform neatly, leaving four straight lines in the middle of his chest.

"Shit," he hissed and ducked as she came for him again. Holding out his hands, he concentrated and barely managed to thrust them against her torso. He thought he had missed and was ready to move out of the way again, when she seemed to buckle in mid-air.

Her eyes widened, a hand going to her stomach. "Wha…what did you do to me?" she gasped and fell to the floor. She slapped another hand over her mouth, but wasn't fast enough to control the spurt of blood that escaped. A shocked gasp filled the auditorium, while her teammates screamed for her to get up, panic on their faces.

Sasori stared at her dispassionately and then raised his arm to give the final strike to end the match. However, he was surprised as she was still able to roll out of the way and extend a leg to topple him to the floor. Sasori growled in frustration, reaching out quickly to wrap his hand around her ankle. Her howl of pain seemed to bounce off the walls and one could visibly see the strain on her features as her body arched off the floor.

"Stop it, you bastard!" Karui screamed. "You're going to kill her!"

That seemed to snap Sasori back to his senses and he released Yugito's now swollen ankle and foot with a flinch. He staggered to his feet, panting harshly and holding his arm to his chest as if afraid of what he had done. Medics were already rushing to the ring with a stretcher, for it was clear that Yugito had passed out. The referee waited until she was taken out and the floor cleaned of the blood stains, before clearing his throat and mopping his brow at the same time.

"Eh…winner of the first match…Akatsuki!"

The crowd applauded with as much enthusiasm as they could muster, but Sasori didn't seem too interested in that as he walked away from the ring to join his teammates. His hand was still clutched against him, and he lowered his gaze as if ashamed when he met Konan's cool gaze. Hadn't he been warned not to lose control?

"Looks like it's my turn," Deidara said, leaping up to the ring as his name was called. He grinned at the furious look on Omoi's face, snorting and flicking a thumb across his nose. "What's wrong, blondie? Scared now? Shaking in your boots? Ready to get a smack down of epic proportions?"

Omoi said nothing, but simply spat, his body thrumming with adrenaline and fury at what had just taken place. If these Akatsuki bastards wanted to play rough, he'd play rough. Samui had left to be with Yugito, while Karui was still wiping her tears. That alone was enough to give him more of an incentive to want to wipe the smug look off Deidara's face.

"FIGHTERS READY?"

They fell into their stances.

"BEGIN!"

Omoi dove for Deidara with a loud yell, no arms or hands extended, which had the blond a bit surprised. All the same, Deidara leaped into the air to dodge the attack, only to blink in surprise as Omoi suddenly seemed to appear before him.

"Miss me, fuck face?" came the taunt before Deidara found himself flying back to the floor with a sickening thud as he was delivered a crushing blow to the side of his face. He shook his head and got up on one knee, spitting out the funny taste in his mouth before realizing it was actually his blood, including a loose tooth.

_The hell?_

He didn't know which was worse – the fact that he was bleeding or the knowledge that he had lost a part of one of his best features.

"Yah! Get him, Omoi!" Karui screeched for the sidelines. "Break every single tooth in that mouth!"

Deidara glared at the girl, only to find himself flying across the ring and almost falling out if it wasn't for his quick thinking. He flipped backwards and struck out a leg to kick Omoi. However, the dark-skinned boy was ready and with his hand and fingers straightened to mimic a slicing motion, he slammed it hard against Deidara's right leg, listening to the blond's cry of anguish as he fell on his good knee. Hardly giving Deidara a chance to recuperate, Omoi struck again, this time delivering the slicing motion against Deidara's stomach, which had the blond doubling over.

"Payback's a bitch," Omoi growled. "How does it feel to eat dirt now, fuck face?"

"Your friend is pretty damn good," Suigetsu said with an appreciative whistle. "Who woulda thunk he'd take down the great douche bag?"

Naruto couldn't stop grinning. It was fantastic to see Omoi taking care of Deidara, and Naruto prepared to give his friend the biggest hug in the world after he won the fight. "I knew he could do it," he said, slamming his fist into his palm. "I knew it! I knew…!"

"It's not over yet," Kakashi said quietly, a frown on his face. Naruto looked at his teacher, and that sharp pang of fear crawled into his stomach again. He forced himself to turn back to the screen and what he saw had him taking a shaky step closer just to be sure he wasn't seeing things. How could it be? Wasn't it barely a second ago that Deidara seemed to be on his last legs and now…

"No…no!"

"Naruto!" Kakashi called out sharply as the boy dashed into the auditorium before he could be stopped.

"Omoi!" Naruto screamed as his friend was tossed aside like a rag doll, his swollen features slack and a mixture of drool and blood escaping his cracked lips. Only the whites of his eyes showed and he was completely immobile. Deidara wasn't looking too hot either as he clutched the hand he must have used to cover Omoi's face to his chest, while dragging himself along the floor. Omoi had done more damage than he thought and he angrily wondered if this meant he'd be using crutches from now on.

Breaking the rules, Karui and Naruto leapt up to the ring and ran towards the prone figure, Karui's desperate pleas for Omoi to wake up, falling on deaf ears as her tears splashed on his face.

"Is…is he dead?" Naruto asked through lips that felt numb, his vision wavering as he struggled not to break down or scream or both.

"Nooo, he can't be!" Karui screamed, hugging Omoi's limp body to her chest as she sobbed aloud. The referee and a person from the medic team tried to pry him away from her, but with little success. The medic was able to feel a pulse though, but stated it was quite weak and they'd have to take him to the hospital before it was too late. Reluctantly, Karui allowed her teammate to be taken out in a stretcher, following slowly with her loud sobs filling the auditorium that buzzed with murmurs from the stunned crowd, before breaking into respectful applause for the fallen fighter.

Naruto followed with more measured steps, hardly realizing he was still walking after the medic team, until a firm hand on his shoulder pulled him back.

"Your teammates need you, Naruto," Kakashi said quietly, staring into the dazed countenance and trying his best to snap the blond out of it. "Omoi fought well and I'm sure they'll do all they can to make him better again. I'm sure he'd want you to make it all the way and avenge his defeat, hmm?"

Naruto gritted his teeth and pulled away from Kakashi's touch. He froze as he watched Deidara being upheld by Konan and Sasori as they walked back into the arena. Kisame, who hadn't even joined his teammates in the auditorium, was still leaning against a wall with his eyes closed as if asleep. He didn't acknowledge his teammates walking past him until Konan called his name sharply, ordering him to get a move on.

Naruto felt his blood boil. "You don't think we're worth watching, is that it?"

The team from the Sand, who were getting ready to head out to the auditorium stopped to see what would happen next. Konan stopped for a second and glanced over her shoulder. She would have said something, but was silenced as Kisame motioned for her to move ahead. He turned back to look at the two teams left, that horrendous smile coming to his visage again.

"Thanks for the invite, Uzumaki Naruto. However, it won't be necessary. Whoever we fight against has a good chance of losing anyway. So why waste our time? I look forward to fighting any of you tomorrow. Good luck."

"Grr!" Naruto was literally trembling with fury.

"Cool it, Naruto," Sasuke said quietly, having walked up to the blond without his knowledge. He too was furious, but was more able to control his emotions when occasion called for it. "We'll get our chance. Right now…we have to get out there."

"Man, I hate those guys so much," Karin grumbled as she joined the line to match into the auditorium. Her head was pounding with a headache, but she knew she'd have to cheer for her boyfriend who was going to fight first.

"Who am I fighting, sensei?" Suigetsu asked while stretching.

"Kankurou."

"The guy with the painted face, eh? Sweet. This should be a piece of cake."

"Fighters to the ring, please!"

"Good luck, babe," Karin whispered, reaching out to squeeze his hand gently. "Win this one."

"You know it." He grinned and turned to Naruto, who still looked pissed, Sasuke, who looked neither angry not happy, and Juugo who looked just as neutral. "Geez, you guys are depressing me," he mumbled. "Wish me luck, goddamnit."

"You don't need it, moron," Sasuke replied with a nudge to the other boy's ribs. "Move it and win this thing as quickly as you can."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Suigetsu leaped into the ring, just as Kankurou was making his way up as well. He hadn't spoken much throughout the tournament, but his purple face paint, which seemed to cover his entire face, made him look intimidating. Not that Suigetsu gave a damn.

"FIGHTERS READY?...BEGIN!"

Kankurou crouched as Suigetsu watched warily, bracing himself for some weird attack or…

"What the…?"

He ducked just in time to avoid the fist that was heading for his head. Turning around completely, he was stumped to see another Kankurou behind him. Blinking, he turned back to face his original opponent and was greeted with a shove against his chest that took his breath away. With a growl, he swung an arm and caught Kankurou at the jaw, dodging and weaving his way around the ring – while still struggling to breathe as the two Kankurous gunned for him.

"What the fuck?" Suigetsu gasped as he took a moment to try to gather some air into lungs that felt pinched with each inhalation. "You're cheating!"

"Cheating?" The other boy laughed and wiggled his fingers. "Nope. I'm just moving way too fast for you. You think there's two of me, right? Guess again."

Suigetsu ducked again as another blow came his way, only for him to notice something that had his eyes widening in disbelief. Was it just his imagination or were there strings of ki coming out of Kankurou's fingers?

"Shit!" He leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the ki threads from wrapping themselves around his legs. With a single spin in the air, Suigetsu aimed for Kankurou's wrist. If he could at least break that, maybe the boy wouldn't have the ability to make those damn things anymore.

Kankurou noticed what was about to happen and smirked. "Too slow."

In a swift move, Kankurou slid out of the way and lifted a knee to deliver a hard blow to Suigetsu's ribs, which sent the Konoha fighter crashing into the row of judges sitting by the ring.

"Eeek!" Karin squealed in shock, covering her mouth as she watched her boyfriend slumped against the upturned chairs and flustered judges who were trying to get out of the way.

"Get up, Suigetsu!" Naruto bellowed. "You can't lose now! Get up!"

Kankurou eyed the referee, who was still staring at Suigetsu as if he were an amoeba of some sort. "Hey, Referee!" Kankurou said impatiently. "You should be counting or something, right?"

"Ah…yes, yes…of course…eh…one!"

"Suigetsu!" Karin screamed. "GET UP!"

"Two!"

Naruto's hands tightened into fists as he began to bounce on the balls of his feet in growing agitation. Suigetsu couldn't lose. He just _couldn't_.

"Three!"

_Goddamn it! Suigetsu!_

"Four!"

Karin moaned and covered her face, her soft hitches a sign that she was too distraught to look anymore. Sasuke's jaw worked silently while Juugo twiddled his hands together in worry.

"Fi…"

A hand shot up suddenly, causing Naruto to grin at the sight of Suigetsu shaking his head and looked incredibly pissed off as he staggered to his feet.

"You son of a bitch!" Suigetsu growled, forgetting about the rules of cursing in the middle of a tournament and watching your language and all that good stuff before the grandmasters and the other V.I.P guests. Not that anything anyone could say would get through the angry boy's mind at this time. "Now, I'm really mad."

"Ooh. Now, I'm reawwy scared," Kankurou teased and crouched again. "Come at me…what?"

He barely dodged the blow that would have struck his side, blinking and wondering if he was seeing things as it seemed like Suigetsu's arm…well…looked _swollen_. Kankurou wondered if the fall had caused it, but he would have to put all thoughts of that aside as he ducked again. No, it wasn't his imagination, after all. Suigetsu's right arm looked way bigger than his left.

"You're not the only one who can mess around with ki," Suigetsu smirked and before Kankurou could move, his right wrist was captured and without missing a beat, snapped like a twig, sending him to his knees in white hot agony. A painful blow was delivered to his torso with the same ki-laced arm, and unable to control his momentum, Kankurou found himself hanging off the ring, his right wrist and arm quite useless at this point.

"He's out, right?" Suigetsu asked the referee.

"Well…not quite…his feet are still in the ring, so technically…"

"Hn." Suigetsu walked up to Kankurou who was trying to wiggle his way back in. He sneered at the lame attempt, and raising his foot, he simply kicked Kankurou's side, sending him completely out of the ring.

"There. He's out now."

The referee looked as if he needed a vacation. "Eh…winner of the first match…Team Taka!"

Suigetsu bowed before the grandmasters and the audience before stepping out of the ring and into his sobbing girlfriend's embrace and his team's enthusiastic response. His arm was throbbing like hell, having resorted to using a technique he would rather not have. Although it was back to normal size, it looked red and sore.

"Looks like it needs an icepack," Kakashi said with a nod. "Karin?"

"I'll take him to the sick bay," the girl offered, leading Suigetsu out of the auditorium to the crowd's enthusiastic applause. "Good luck, Juugo!" she called back over her shoulder, with Suigetsu repeating the sentiments.

However, as Kakashi noticed who was making his way into the middle of the ring, he frowned, holding back Juugo who was about to step in. "Sasuke?"

The captain raised a brow. "Yes, sensei?"

"Feel up to it?"

"What?" Naruto gasped. "But I thought you said he was going…?"

"Gaara is next," Kakashi said quietly. "I would have liked you to go, but since you're still sor…_sorry_ you can't fight today, I think Sasuke should go in."

"But…"

"It's okay, Naruto," Sasuke said with a small smile as he began to make his way to the ring. "I need a real warm up anyway."

Naruto walked as close to the ring as he could, lower lip caught between his teeth as his worried gaze drifted to Gaara, who looked as cool as a cucumber with that seemingly blank look on his features. Sasuke looked just as impassive, his dark eyes and body neither showing fear nor excitement as he stared into the pale eyes before him.

_/He's never gotten a scratch in fights. /_

_How?_ Sasuke wondered as the referee asked the familiar question of 'Ready?' in the background. He fell into his stance, and at the cry of 'Begin!' he braced himself, waiting for Gaara to attack.

_Why isn't he moving?_

Gaara had closed his eyes, causing Sasuke to growl in irritation at the time being wasted with his stunt. With a light grunt, he seemed to phase out of sight, his speed impressive as he suddenly 'appeared' behind Gaara to strike out with a ki-charged fist. He made connection with thin air for Gaara had moved just as fast and now stood at the opposite end of the ring, his brows now furrowed as if in deep thought.

For the next few minutes, this strange 'ballet' between the two fighters continued with Gaara dodging Sasuke's very well-planned attacks. The Konoha captain couldn't understand it. It seemed as if Gaara was able to see his moves way ahead of him and was always prepared.

_I see. He wears you out by letting you fight as much as you want and he keeps dodging them, and just when you're at your most vulnerable, he strikes._

"Come on, Sasuke! Kick his ass!" came the familiar yell of encouragement from the blond loudmouth. Sasuke tried to hide his smile, and then smirked as he saw a tiny opening for him. Naruto's yell had distracted Gaara, who had turned his head a little towards the Konoha side with something akin to mild surprise on his features…

…which soon became even more surprised as Sasuke finally managed to land a clenched fist on the other boy's left cheek. Gaara was flung across the ring like a rag doll, landing on the floor with a grunt of pain and shock at anyone being able to touch him in so long. He got up to his knees slowly, his cheeks burning and getting swollen as he touched it gingerly. His mouth was filling with blood and he stared, almost moronically, at the red fluid that dripped from the cut on his injured cheek to the floor. He looked up and just in time to see Sasuke charging for him. With his brows now furrowed in anger, Gaara closed his eyes and concentrated.

Sasuke wasn't sure of what hit him, but he did know that he had never felt this surge of electricity wrack through his body as he was tossed across the ring. Gaara had still not actually touched him, and yet every part of his body seemed to be throbbing with pain as if he had been punched continuously.

"Sasuke! Get up!"

He opened his eyes to stare blindly at the ceiling – which seemed miles away as the auditorium was quite huge. Naruto's voice – as weird as it was to admit – was surprisingly the extra boost he needed to get into the fight again. Gritting his teeth to curtail the pain, Sasuke rose to his feet, much to the audience's appreciation as they cheered loudly in support. He took a deep breath and braced himself again. He wanted to test something – to be sure his theories were right.

He dashed towards Gaara again, making it seem as if he was going for a direct attack. However, a quick feint to the left was all he needed to see that his assumption was correct. Gaara was able to manipulate his ki into a shield that blocked Sasuke's attack. It was a fast technique, but Sasuke was able to pinpoint a slight flaw in this. Gaara could only put up the shield for less than a minute, and Sasuke noticed that it seemed to take a lot out of him. The Sand fighter was breathing a lot heavier now, those once cool eyes now looking slightly frantic with worry.

"Let's see how fast I can wear you out," Sasuke muttered to himself and knowing he'd have to suffer the pain, he began to feint direct attacks to Gaara, moving left, right, up into the air or crouching with a speed that made it seem like he was nothing more than a blur. Gaara was doing his best to keep up with the Konoha fighter, getting more frustrated as his ki shield wasn't being put up as fast as he'd like. He was expending too much energy and even though it seemed like Sasuke was getting hit quite a few times, the stubborn dark-haired boy wouldn't give up.

"Damn you," Gaara growled as Sasuke dashed for him again. He held up his hands, in a desperate effort to protect himself, and fully expected to have Sasuke dodge again; only to gasp in stunned surprise as Sasuke suddenly penetrated his barrier to wrap his hand around Gaara's neck.

"Im….impossible," Gaara wheezed as he stared into the bloodied face before him. His shield had done a number on Sasuke, for the boy looked like he had been put through an electric chair. However, Sasuke wasn't letting up and if anything, he increased the pressure around Gaara's neck.

"How…how is it possible? Why are you suffering through the pain?" Gaara asked in bemusement.

Sasuke gave a grim smile. "Because I can't lose here. I made a promise to the one I love, and I can't break it now. Sorry."

With a loud yell, he lifted a leg to smash it into Gaara's torso, releasing the other boy's neck as he was tossed out of the ring…well almost. Gaara lay immobile on the floor, eyes wide open as if still in shock at what had just taken place.

The referee ran to his position and hovered over the prone figure. He paused for a moment , wondering or hoping Gaara would move on his own, but seeing as the boy was making no effort to do so, he began the countdown.

"Eh…One!...Two!..."

Sasuke could barely stand, but he sucked in the pain and waited, wondering why the referee wasn't counting any faster. However, his eyes widened in disbelief as Gaara began to rise to his feet slowly.

_Shit! I can't deal with him now if he wants to continue. Urgh!_

He braced himself all the same, body trembling as white hot pain laced through him. Gaara, who was now on his feet, still looked dazed and confused. He stared at the floor for a long minute and then glanced at Naruto who was all but ready to jump into the ring to protect Sasuke if need be. He tore his gaze away from the feisty blond and eyed Sasuke – a boy barely able to stand and yet willing to continue fighting for the one he loved. He wasn't a fool and had seen the way those two had been acting towards each other all weekend. Whether it was jealousy or envy, Gaara didn't know. He looked towards his team and blushed faintly as he noticed Yashamaru smiling warmly at him.

Cursing beneath his breath, he turned to walk away, leaving the referee, Sasuke and the audience in dumb disbelief.

"Eh…Gaara?" the referee called out uncertainly. "Are you giving up…?"

The boy simply raised a hand and leapt from the ring, walking out of the auditorium without looking back and with his teammates in tow.

"Well then," the referee cried out in excitement. "It seems like Team Sand has given up the match which means…TEAM TAKA is the winner!"

"Whoo hooo! You did it, Sasuke! I knew you could!" Naruto screamed to join the elated audience's cheers of appreciation. He grinned and bounced up and down as Sasuke walked back to join them, only to give a soft cry as his captain slumped heavily into his arms.

"Sas…Sasuke?" He held the trembling body tightly to him, looking up at Kakashi with worry etched on his features and a dull thump of fear in his heart. "Sen…sensei?"

"We should get him to the sick bay," came the curt command from his teacher just as the medics seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Do you need a stretcher?" one of them asked.

However, it was Juugo who shook his head and proceeded to lift Sasuke into his arms. "I'll take him."

The team left the auditorium, barely registering the applause or final announcement made for the two teams to fight tomorrow. Naruto stared into the pale and blood-streaked visage of his captain and swallowed the lump that rose to his throat. His eyes burned with unshed tears, hands clenching into tight fists as he realized he should have been the one fighting out there, not Sasuke. He should have just sucked in his 'soreness' and dealt with it instead of putting the other boy through this.

"How is he?" It was Sai who asked, as he and Haku had been let into the arena.

"Still breathing at least," Kakashi replied.

Suigetsu and Karin were heading towards them at a jog, concern on their faces as they noticed their team captain's state. Suigetsu's arm was enclosed in what looked like a cast, but was actually layers of icepacks attached to it.

"Is he all right?" Karin asked, hovering around Juugo while clasping and unclasping her hands as she struggled not to break down in tears.

"Geez. He looks like hell," Suigetsu observed. "You sure he'll be able to fight tomorrow? Not with the way he looks and all…"

"I don't mind taking his place," Juugo said quietly. "He'll need to recover…"

"He'll fight," Naruto interrupted calmly, his gaze trained on the floor. "He'll fight. I know he will. He has to. He promised and he'll keep his motherfucking promise even if it means I have to beat him back into consciousness!"

"Naruto…"

The blond looked up with eyes that blazed and took a step towards Sasuke. He stared into the pale countenance and hitched in the sob that threatened to escape.

"Do you hear me, Sasuke?" he said in a hoarse voice choked up as his eyes filled with tears. "You have to get better. You promised, goddamnit! I can't lose you now, you hear me? I can't! because I…I…

_I love you, you bastard! I love you! I love you! I love…._

A sudden heavy hand on his head, had him looking up and into the beaming features of his uncle. "What's all the sniffling about?" Jiraiya asked. His voice might have been loud, but there was no denying the look of understanding and warmth in his eyes that finally broke Naruto's resolve.

Not caring about the group of people around him, Naruto gave a child-like wail and buried his face against his uncle's chest, hugging him as tight as he could.

"Help him, uncle," came his muffled plea, not really knowing what his uncle could possibly do, but needing someone to help Sasuke…_anyone_. "Please…help him!"

Jiraiya stared at the shock of blond hair below him and felt his heart stir with the memories. This was only the second time, since Naruto started living with him, to ever receive a hug from the boy. The first happened when they met at his parents' graves, and since then, getting the boy to show any sign of such intimate affection was practically impossible. He rubbed Naruto's head gently and looked up to meet Ms. Fuyutsuki's knowing eyes.

He smiled and then turned to the anxious group of fighters and friends that watched him in earnest.

"All right, people," he finally said. "Why don't you take us to your hotel room? I think we should be able to help Sasuke."

Naruto pulled back to stare at his uncle in bemusement. "What? How…?"

All he received was a tap on the head and another warm smile. "Just lead the way, Naruto. And trust this perverted old man for once, eh?"

"They are making it way too easy," Kisame grumbled as he watched the Konoha group leave the arena. "I don't think I'll get much of a challenge after all."

"Pein says he should be able to fight tomorrow," Konan replied quietly. Thankfully, Deidara was not here as he was back in the hotel with Sasori babysitting him.

"Good. Although he really won't be needed."

"I'm guessing they'll put Uzumaki Naruto first. Pein can deal with him."

Kisame grunted and said nothing.

"As for your opponent…it might end up being the big guy…Juugo or whatever his name is. I doubt Uchiha Sasuke will be able to fight in his condition. Gaara did a number on him."

"I should extend my thanks, but I'm pissed off I won't get the chance to break him myself."

Konan eyed the big man with the leery grin and felt a shiver of revulsion shoot down her spine. "Just remember to take it easy."

"Does it matter?" came the amused reply as Kisame pushed himself away from the wall to walk away. "It's the finals. Anything goes, Konan and rules mean shit to me. So, if it means killing any member of the Konoha team, so be it."


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes:** Well...this is officially the longest chapter I've ever written for either fanfiction or original stories *lol* I was more than tempted to break it into two chapters, but figured it wouldn't work that way.

To Tsukiguy? - you asked me a question in your review, but left no email address, so I'm not exactly sure what you need help with. I **can't** write your story for you though! And I do not write in long-hand (I get hand cramps). I use my trusty old Microsoft Word...save it in my USB flashdrive and carry it with me wherever I go.

To the person who said that Chouji could never get a girlfriend because he's fat and ugly...I'm assuming you've never heard of a thing called 'Inner Beauty' which is something Chouji has plenty of.

And last but not least, please forgive any typos you see here. I've been working without a beta, despite my attempts to get one (I don't bite, honest!), but hopefully it's still readable enough.

And yeah...we've got one more chapter left...but until then...ENJOY.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty:**

"Place him on the floor," came the brusque command from Jiraiya as he peeled off his jacket to roll up the sleeves of his dress shirt. They had finally arrived at the boys' room and Ms. Fuyutsuki was busy closing the curtains and dimming the lights with a frown of concentration on her features.

Juugo did as he was told, laying Sasuke in the middle of the room before stepping back as he watched Jiraiya fall to his knees to strip the boy down to his underwear. The man winced inwardly at the reddened flesh, wondering why Sasuke would go so far as to break through that dangerous ki shield at the risk of being charred to a crisp. Either the boy was a stubborn fighter who couldn't accept defeat, or a boy who was amazingly dumb. Either way, he had been impressed with Sasuke's ability to think quickly in the thick of battle, realizing that the only way to defeat Gaara's seemingly impenetrable defense was to move much faster than he could conjure it up. It had involved sacrificing his body for this; Sasuke willing to suffer the effects of the 'shocks' that were delivered each time he got too close.

_You are an amazing kid, Uchiha Sasuke. In more ways than one._

"Un…uncle?"

Jiraiya looked up and smiled at the concerned visage of his ward, who was poking his head into the room.

"I thought I told you to wait outside, Naruto," he said gently yet with firmness in his tone. "Juugo, carry him out will you?"

"But what are you going to do to him? And why is Ms. Fuyutsuki with you?"

The adults exchanged a quick but poignant look and Ms. Fuyutsuki smiled. "We want to help your friend, Naruto. You trust us, don't you?"

The blond stared into the warm eyes of a woman he had come to see as more than just 'auntie' over the years. Memories of her cradling him within her embrace, singing songs or sharing stories…all the cakes and cookies she had baked…the bento lunches she had packed…the secret tears of sadness she had shed after his street fights…her scolding when he misbehaved…or how much fun she'd have with him on their outings to the local park when he was little – all came rushing to his mind as he watched her kneel next to Sasuke's head.

"Auntie…"

"Get out of here, Naruto," Jiraiya said, an edge of impatience in his voice. "We have to get started as quickly as possible."

"Come on," Juugo cajoled as he began to push Naruto out of the room gently. "Let's join the others."

The 'others' were sitting in the main lobby downstairs with either pensive or worried expressions on their faces. Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and the girls sat on a long couch. Haku was beneath Sai's feet, sitting Indian style. Suigetsu and Karin were standing next to Kakashi, and all turned as they noticed Naruto and Juugo approaching.

"What happened?" Amaru asked as she jumped from the couch to run up to Naruto. "How is he?"

"I don't know," the boy replied, accepting her embrace absently. "They told us to leave and reassured us that they had everything under control."

"I had no idea your uncle was into voodoo and stuff," Suigetsu mumbled.

"It's not voodoo," Naruto began in protest, not really sure _what_ it was his uncle or Ms. Fuyutsuki were doing anyway. It just seemed strange that they hadn't asked for any medical supplies and having Sasuke lying on the floor in his underwear with the adults alone in the darkened room, raised a lot of questions.

"Well if it's not voodoo, what the fuck is it?" Chouji asked in the midst of munching a cookie.

"Some people do have mystical powers," Haku said quietly, his brow furrowed in thought as if trying to remember something. "My parents, especially my father, have a strong belief in such things and I've seen him heal people with just a prayer. It really is amazing."

A tense silence fell for a minute before Suigetsu's voice shattered it. "Soooo….you're saying Jiraiya has the ability to heal people with prayers? Wow. Now, I know I've really stepped into the motherfucking Twilight Zone."

"It's not impossible," Kiba retorted. "My mom said she saw Native Indians doing such things when she returned from the States. She brought a whole bunch of charms and stuff and said they worked especially when she came down with some weird disease and they prayed and chanted some things over her. She's never been sick since then."

"I guess that would explain a few things with you, Naruto," Shikamaru said with a small smile.

"What do you mean?" came the bemused question.

"Your ability to heal pretty fast after all those fights," Shikamaru replied, which caused everyone to stare at the blond as if seeing a whole new specimen for the first time. "Maybe your uncle and aunt have been working behind the scenes all this time and you never knew it."

"Hello? My uncle's away most of the time, dipshit! And if they were doing any chanting thing over me, you don't think I'd have noticed by now?"

"But…" Amaru began slowly. "After what happened to you at the movie theater the other day…you were completely healed by Monday. How is that possible? You should have been in the hospital, Naruto and yet…"

"All right already!" came the frustrated roar laced with confusion. "Maybe they did something to me…"

_The dark mark on your chest, remember?_

"…how should I know? Point of the matter is, we should be hoping that Sasuke heals well enough to fight tomorrow. "

"Fair enough," Suigetsu began, only to push himself away from the pillar he had been leaning against, his gaze drifting past Naruto as he noticed who was now approaching. "Oh oh, looks like the Uchiha clan is here."

Sure enough, it was Fugaku, Itachi and Mikoto walking towards them. Mikoto looked the most worried even though she was doing a good job of trying not to show it too much.

"Where is Sasuke?" she asked before the men flanking her sides could say anything. "We went to the sick bay, but they said he wasn't brought in." She looked to Kakashi. "Where is he?"

"He's with my uncle," Naruto piped up as he took a step closer to Sasuke's family. He suffered Fugaku's piercing gaze, noticing the man's lips had tightened in response to his answer. Itachi seemed indifferent, although the light squeeze on his mother's shoulder to comfort her betrayed his concern.

"Is your uncle a doctor?" Mikoto asked in bemusement. "I thought you said he was a college professor?"

Kakashi took the opportunity to step in. "His uncle and aunt have reassured us that they will be able to help Sasuke. So we need not worry."

"If they aren't licensed practitioners, what the hell are they doing to my son?"

For all his seeming indifference to Sasuke, it was a bit surprising to see Fugaku this animated in regards to the whole thing. Naruto wished Sasuke could be here to see this side of his father – the side that really did care for his son despite his sometimes cold attitude.

"My aunt and uncle know what they're doing." _I_ _hope_. "And they've helped me plenty of times, so I'm sure they'll take care of Sasuke. We've just got to give them a chance."

"Come on, Dad…Mom," Itachi said quietly. "Let's go back to the hotel and wait. I'm sure Kakashi will let us know if any news comes in."

Mikoto looked unsure, but seeing the determination in Naruto's eyes seemed to ease her worries a little. "Well here is the phone number to the hotel room we're staying in," she said, digging through her bag to find the courtesy business cards handed to guests. "Please, be sure to call us as soon as you hear anything."

"You bet, ma'am," Naruto replied with a smile, only to blush as he noticed Itachi staring intently at him. What now?

However, all he said, with an amiable expression on his features was, "My brother has surrounded himself with good friends. I'm glad to see that. Uzumaki Naruto, right?"

"Yea…yeah? What is it?"

"Take good care of him on my behalf, hmm?" He gave a wink and turned away to catch up to his parents, leaving the blond slack jawed and Suigetsu snickering behind him.

"You have very nice _in-laws_, Naruto," came the tease from the other boy. "When's the wedding?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Naruto retorted, even though his face was doing a good impression of a tomato. He ignored the chuckles from the others as he plopped into a seat and stubbornly turned his face away from them.

From all Sasuke had told him, the impression he had of Itachi was completely different than he expected. He had sensed no animosity and if anything, Itachi had looked like he was genuinely happy and pleased for his younger brother. Naruto wondered if both boys had had the chance to talk since the tournament began. If they hadn't, he was determined to get them to do so, even if Sasuke proved to be difficult about it.

* * *

Half an hour passed to find Kakashi reading a novel. Suigetsu's announcement of being hungry and going to grab something to eat at the cafeteria, had he, Karin, Juugo, Chouji, Kiba and their girls all following him. Sai had mentioned something about wanting to see another part of the hotel for his sketches, and Haku was all too glad to push him, saying they'd return when any news was received.

Only Naruto and Shikamaru were still awake, with Amaru's head on the blond's lap as she dozed off. Naruto glanced over at his friend.

"Visited Temari yet?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah. She's doing much better even though she's going to need crutches for a while. What about you? Visited Omoi yet?"

Naruto felt guilty at the reminder. With all that was going on, he hadn't even thought about his friend since Deidara's antics. "I'll check him out as soon as I make sure Sasuke's all right," he finally said. "I'm sure he'll be fine though. Omoi's much tougher than he looks."

"That worried about Sasuke, eh?"

Naruto had the grace to blush at the insinuation. "He's my teammate," came the low mumble. "Of course I'm supposed to be…"

"Uh huh."

Shikamaru chuckled at the discomfort on his friend's face and decided to let up the teasing. "I wonder why Gaara didn't finish him off. It was clear he could have made a last charge for Sasuke and might have won."

Naruto was more than aware of what Shikamaru was implying and he too wondered why the Sand fighter had not continued. He had noticed the Gaara looking at him a few times throughout the fight, and Naruto wondered if he had said anything to cause the outcome of the match. Either way, he had to thank Gaara for not going all the way. He really had given Sasuke something to think about in regards to his match tomorrow. Watching Sasuke bear the pain throughout the match had been brutal to watch. It was all Naruto could do not to dash up to the ring to stop the fight, but he knew Sasuke wouldn't have appreciated it.

_You had better make it, Sasuke, _he prayed fervently. _I'm begging you!_

Naruto eyed the large clock in the lobby and then at the elevators with longing. He wished he could get back upstairs, but the weight on his lap was a reminder that if he moved, the girl would want to follow as well. He eyed Amaru with an inward sigh, realizing he'd really have to have a talk with her in regards to their relationship. But until then…

He glanced at the elevators again, and Shikamaru cut into his thoughts with a soft chuckle. "I'll take care of her, Naruto," he said, moving closer to pull the sleeping girl against him. "Go on. I'll tell the others when they come back."

"Thanks, Shika," he whispered, sliding away from Amaru and all but dashing towards the elevators. However, there seemed to be a considerable amount of people waiting to use it as well and being too impatient, he ran towards the stairs and began to climb them two at a time.

He burst onto the sixth floor, panting and trying to catch his breath. The corridor was empty and eerily quiet, but as he approached their hotel room, he felt an unexplainable cold chill. He froze before the door, eyes widening as there seemed to be a blue glow emanating from the tiny slit at the bottom. He couldn't be sure, but was that a dull hum he was hearing? Unaware of his hands trembling, Naruto reached out for the handle, but hissed and withdrew his stinging fingers at how hot it felt to the touch.

_What the hell's going on in there? Sasu…_

A sudden howl of anguish that seemed to be wrenched from the gut, had Naruto's eyes widening in fear and panic. He dashed towards the door and would have reached for the handle when he remembered how it had almost seared his flesh. With near desperation, he began to pound on the door, calling out Sasuke's name.

"What are you doing to him? What the hell's going on? Open the motherfucking door and let me in! UNCLE! Goddamnit!"

He slumped to the floor after five minutes of this, biting his lower lip so hard he could taste blood. He was shaking so bad, he could barely see and with a groan of dismay, he raised his knees and buried his face against them - not wanting to break down in tears at the overwhelming feeling of helplessness that washed over him.

_Sasuke is dying. They are killing him all in an attempt to heal him. Shit. Shit! Shit!_

In his deep funk, it took him a while to finally realize that Sasuke wasn't screaming anymore and that the door was slowly opening…on its own. He lifted his head, blinking dumbly at the dimness in the room, before jumping to his feet and pushing the door the rest of the way in to see just what was taking place.

"I swear one of these days, I'm going to tape your mouth shut for good, Naruto," Jiraiya mumbled from the chair in which he had slumped in. He looked exhausted but satisfied, and even managed to give his ward a small smile.

Ms. Fuyutsuki was tucking Sasuke into his bed, and as Naruto walked closer, he could see the boy looked…well… _normal_ enough. The blood that had once caked his face from his wounds had been cleaned. In fact, Sasuke's face looked as if he had not received a single scratch. If anything, his skin looked flawless and unblemished, but most importantly, he looked peaceful as he slept.

"What…what did you guys do to him?"

Naruto looked into Ms. Fuyutsuki's face, noticing for the first time how young she really looked. He had never seen her hair down before, and had to do a double take to be sure it was actually the same woman who had nursed him all these years.

"Who are you?" He turned to Jiraiya. "What's going on here? Uncle?"

"I think it's time to tell him," Ms. Fuyutsuki said as she walked over to the windows to pull aside the curtains, letting in the fading light from sunset.

"Do I have to?" Jiraiya groaned, eyeing Naruto who looked ready to explode if he didn't hear the truth anytime soon. "Fine, fine. Have a seat, you annoying little brat. Maybe I should explain everything from the beginning."

* * *

By the time Jiraiya was done, Naruto was sitting on the chair opposite him with a dumbfounded expression on his visage. He eyed the couple sitting side-by-side and realized he should have put two and two together all this time. No wonder his uncle had never really bothered to hire another maid. With Ms. Fuyutsuki and her 'special ability' as a priestess, it would be a cinch for her to do all the housework without complaining or needing extra help.

"Well?" Jiraiya finally asked after a long minute of silence. "Ready to move out of the house and away from the weird people living with you?"

"Are you kidding? Where the fuck will I sleep?" came the quick retort. "And where else can I get to eat all the delicious foods auntie cooks, huh? Or who the hell am I going to keep calling perverted old man, eh? Pfft." He rose to his feet and stretched his arms over his head. "Don't think you're getting rid of me that quickly. I'll decide when I get to leave and that's that."

He began to leave the room, not wanting to look into the grateful and surprised expressions on the adults faces. Perhaps they had really expected him to be angry about the truth, but how could he be? They were his family and had always been there for him. Losing them now was not an option.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"What's that, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto smirked and looked over his shoulder. "Just marry her already, Uncle. I need a little brother or sister and soon."

With that, he left the flummoxed adults, closing the door to the room behind him to lean against it with a soft chuckle.

_That should give them something to think about._

"For now…" He grinned and jogged towards the elevators with excitement. "Time to tell the others the good news."

* * *

Suigetsu hummed to himself as he slipped into his pajamas bottoms before sliding beneath the blanket to prepare for much needed sleep. He had contemplated being with Karin tonight, but she was in one of her funky moods (must be her PMS or something) and so hightailed it. There was no getting to her when she became uber bitchy.

They had all marveled at the way Sasuke looked after Naruto told them the news. Their captain was still sleeping and hadn't moved a muscle since the voodoo magic Naruto's folks had performed on him. All Suigetsu knew was that they were geniuses and he'd have to convince the old man and his woman to work on him one of these days.

The bathroom door opened and Naruto stepped out in a pair of black boxers, still slightly wet from the shower he had taken. He glanced at the sleeping Sasuke, wondering just how long the boy planned to sleep, but then again, he himself had slept for over twelve hours after his 'treatment' so it really wasn't much of a surprise.

"Think he'll be awake in time for his match tomorrow?" Suigetsu asked, slightly joking and yet serious. It wouldn't do for Sasuke to oversleep and not have time to practice at least.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Naruto replied as he flopped on his bed with hands beneath his head.

The boys remained silent for a while lost in their thoughts, before Suigetsu spoke up.

"That guy…Pein or whatever. You might end up fighting him tomorrow."

"I know."

"I wonder why he didn't show up today."

Naruto shrugged, wishing he still smoked. He was feeling anxious even though he did not show it. The soreness from last night was ebbing away and he was sure by tomorrow he'd be able to fight with no problems. However, Suigetsu had posed a good question. He couldn't really remember what Sai's report on Pein's fighting style had been, but after watching the other Akatsuki fighters, it was clear that their abilities lay in being able to absorb their opponents' ki. Naruto knew he'd have to be extra careful tomorrow if he hoped to win.

"…that Kisame guy."

"Huh?"

"I said, I wonder how Sasuke would do against that Kisame guy."

Naruto smiled grimly. "He'll win. He has to."

Suigetsu slid a glance at the blond. "That confident, eh?"

"He promised he would, and I believe in him."

It took another second to realize how his statement sounded and he turned crimson at the soft chuckle from his teammate.

"Man, you two are hopeless," Suigetsu muttered as he closed his eyes. "Never really thought you'd end up swinging both ways, Naruto. So…how was it?"

Naruto blinked. "How was what?"

"The butt sex, dipshit."

Naruto felt even hotter and he tried to ignore his discomfort by giving Suigetsu the finger. "Go to bed, asshole."

"That great, huh?" Suigetsu laughed as he opened his eyes. "I knew Sasuke was the man, but damn, now I've really got to consider him _The Man_, know what I mean?"

"Suigetsu!"

"All right, all right. I'll quit." A long pause and then the sing-song tease. "Sweet butt sex dreams, Naruto."

He couldn't escape the pillow that was chucked at him from across the room, and before long, both boys were engaged in as quiet a pillow fight as they could manage, neither wanting to wake their sleeping captain from his much deserved rest.

* * *

At the crack of dawn, Sasuke finally lifted his lashes. Light snores heralded his waking state, and he noticed Suigetsu…again lying the wrong way on his bed with drool accumulating on the blanket which lay askew around him. He turned his head the other way to see Naruto wasn't sleeping any better. He was almost falling off the bed, mouth slightly open…drool in place and looking simply delectable in only his boxers.

Unfortunately, Sasuke knew he'd have to curb whatever early morning desires he had as he struggled to remember what happened to him after his fight with Gaara. He remembered being in a lot of pain and barely able to walk…falling into Naruto's arms and then…nothing.

_Come to think of it…why aren't you aching all over anymore, Sasuke? _

He lifted his right arm and stared at his hand – the one that had managed to penetrate through Gaara's shield. The ki had left deep red welts on his flesh, but to his chagrin, there was nothing there now. His arm looked as good as it had always been, if not better (a cut he had suffered from trying to pry open a can last week, had vanished as well). He pushed down the blanket to look at his torso, and again, it looked as if he hadn't been involved in any fights since the day he was born. Faint scars he had accumulated over the years were no longer there…except for the tiny black mark (about the size of a coin) that was now etched above his right nipple.

He caressed it gently, wondering if one of the boys had played a trick on him by drawing the circle there. But try as hard as he might to rub it off, it wouldn't go away.

_The hell is this?_

Naruto squirmed and turned on the bed, and as Sasuke turned to look at him again, his sharp gaze caught something familiar on the blond's bare chest…besides the necklace which he didn't even take off in sleep. Sasuke swung his legs off the bed to take a closer look, and was more than surprised to see that Naruto had the same dark mark.

_Wait…that's always been there, hasn't it? _

He had only assumed it was a birthmark and never really thought much about it, but on closer inspection, both marks looked exactly alike. Before he could control himself, he reached out to caress the mark on Naruto's chest, causing the blond to shiver and moan at the sensation. Smiling, Sasuke's fingers danced across Naruto's chest to flick the nipples gently and he was rewarded with a firm grip on his wrist from the blond who was now wide awake.

"Good morning, Naruto," Sasuke said softly.

"Sasu….mmm." His words were trapped between the meeting of their lips, a low moan muffled as he parted them to allow Sasuke more access. He let go of Sasuke's wrist to wrap his arms around the other boy's neck, forcing their bodies together as the kiss deepened.

"Mmm…" he finally muttered thickly as Sasuke pulled away a little to catch his breath. "And good morning to you too, Sasuke."

His captain smiled and buried his face against Naruto's neck, placing tender kisses there as they remained in that position for a while. They knew they didn't dare give in to their growing arousals, for not only was Suigetsu in the room, they had matches today and needed all the strength they could conserve.

"How do you feel?" Naruto finally asked, his fingertips tracing small circles across Sasuke's bare shoulders.

"Right now? Trying not to suffer through a serious case of blue balls."

Naruto flushed. "Shut the fuck up. You know what I mean."

Sasuke chuckled and looked up and into the blue eyes he found so beautiful. "I feel great to be honest. What happened to me, Naruto? The last I remember is falling into your arms and being in so much pain, I couldn't stand it."

Naruto smiled and reached up to cradle Sasuke's bemused countenance between his hands. "My uncle and auntie healed you."

Sasuke blinked. "What?"

Naruto nodded towards the mark on Sasuke's chest. "That wasn't there yesterday, right? Same with me, after that whole thing with Kisame." He told Sasuke of Jiraiya's story, watching with interest as Sasuke's eyes seemed to widen in either disbelief or surprise, Naruto couldn't be sure. Finally, the dark-haired boy crawled off Naruto to lie beside him, gaze fixed on the ceiling as he tried to digest all he had heard.

"Wow…I guess I ought to really thank them for this." Absently, he caressed his chest and then turned his head a little to look into Naruto's curious eyes. "You do know what this means now, don't you?"

The blonde looked confused. "What?"

Sasuke smirked. "We're bound now, stupid. We both have the same seal or whatever inside of us. Which means…"

He leaned closer, resting his forehead against Naruto's, a hand reaching for the blond's to entwine their fingers together. "It means we're connected for the rest of our lives, Naruto. You belong to me and I to you…always."

His heart pounding harder in his chest, Naruto struggled not to feel like he was melting into a puddle of goo. Why Sasuke felt the need to spout such mushy things to mess his head up like this, Naruto would never know. "You've been reading way too many romance novels, Uchiha Sasuke."

"I don't read that crap."

"Well, stop saying such things then."

"What's wrong with what I'm saying?"

"It's…it's…it's embarrassing…" Naruto finished lamely, lowering his gaze, only to feel Sasuke's fingers beneath his chin forcing him to look up again.

"I don't care, Naruto." He teased the blond with a feather light kiss, whispering thickly against them as he finally said the three words that sent Naruto's entire being flaming with heat.

_Sasuke…I…_

"We should get ready," came the sudden command as the boy got off Naruto's body to stretch, before heading to the bathroom without a look back. "Wake up, Suigetsu. We don't want to be late."

Naruto blinked at the door slamming behind Sasuke, sitting up and wondering what he had done to cause the other boy to leave so suddenly.

_Geez! And just when I was about to tell him how I felt too._

In the bathroom, Sasuke slid to the floor to bury his face against his raised knees in misery. Telling Naruto that he loved him had been the easy part, but he had 'run away' before the blond could say anything else. He knew Naruto was still not ready and not wanting to deal with the boy's fickle emotions, he had broken the tension with his reminder for them to get ready for the day. Besides…it was better this way. The ball was now in Naruto's court and he'd have to make the final move.

* * *

"Are we going to a funeral?" Suigetsu grumbled as he chewed on his toast, eyeing the table where his teammates seemed too lost in their thoughts. "What's with everyone looking morose? We're in the motherfucking finals! We should be celebrating or something."

"We'll have plenty of time to celebrate if we win our matches," Kakashi said with a small smile.

"Don't you mean 'when'?" Naruto replied, stealing a glance at Sasuke who wasn't reciprocating the gesture. _Must be trying to get into the fighting mood or zone or whatever._ The boy hadn't cracked a smile since they left their hotel room.

"There they are."

Naruto perked up at the familiar voice of his friend, noticing Omoi leading the way as Team Cloud made their appearance. His face was still swathed with bandages, which only revealed his eyes and lips. Yugito was walking with crutches, Samui close by her side, while Karui had made a beeline for the breakfast bar to help herself to something.

"Hi ya, brother!" Naruto greeted, standing up to hug the other boy. "Come to wish us luck?"

"Yup. Hey, everyone," he hailed as the other members of team Taka waved back or grunted or nodded in response.

"Just a warning," Yugito began, not exactly looking friendly as she eyed the group. "Akatsuki will try to win by any means."

"I don't think Deidara will be fighting," Samui added. "We just saw him still limping. However, you have to realize that they are extremely fast. Uzumaki Naruto…"

"What?"

"We have not seen your fighting skills, but we did get a chance to see Pein in the preliminaries. His technique seems to be the ability to expend a tremendous wave of ki that can paralyze you in an instant."

"He doesn't break a sweat," Karui chimed in as she approached the table with a muffin in hand. "Don't look at his eyes either if you can help it. I think they hypnotize you or something."

"How do you know that?" Karin asked.

"We asked the fighters from the schools they fought. One of the guys said he felt his whole body shake when Pein looked at him…like the kid was manipulating him with his eyes or something. Just don't look at them."

Naruto nodded solemnly. "Thanks for the tips. Really. You guys didn't have to do this…"

"You're damn right we didn't," Yugito said curtly. "But if we can avenge our defeat through your victory, we can at least leave this tournament with our heads held high. Good luck."

"Yeah, good luck," Omoi said, eyes alight since the act of smiling was still a bitch. "We'll be rooting for you in the audience."

Naruto smiled as he watched the Hiro fighters make their way to the opposite end of the dining room, and taking a deep breath, he rose to his feet with a determined glint in his eyes. "All right! Now, I'm really eager to get this fight started. Sensei! Let's go already!"

"That's fine," the teacher said as he stood up. "But first…Sasuke, your family's waiting for you in the lobby. I promised to give them word on your condition and they're eager to see you."

Naruto noticed the faint blush that filled Sasuke's cheeks as their captain nodded and prepared to leave. "Hey, Sasuke."

"What is it, Naruto?"

"Itachi…" He wondered how to put this without pissing off the other boy. "I think you should talk to him. He doesn't seem so bad and was actually quite friendly."

Sasuke looked bemused for a moment before realizing that he hadn't told Naruto about his meeting with Itachi yet. "Thanks," he said aloud with a small smile. "We've already spoken…and things are going to be okay between us…I think."

Naruto grinned in genuine relief. "Awesome!"

"Yeah, your future in-laws are all one big happy family," Suigetsu teased and was rewarded with Naruto making a dive for him and trying to grab him a chokehold.

Sasuke hid his blush by turning away quickly to make his way out of the dining room. In his haste, he bumped into someone and automatically reached out to steady whoever it was, when he met the familiar teal eyes that had caused him great pain yesterday. Both boys stared at each other with Gaara's eyes widening as he couldn't believe what he was seeing. This couldn't possibly be the same Uchiha Sasuke who had been bleeding and barely able to stand, was it? It had to be an imposter. No one could heal that fast in so short a time!

"Hello, Gaara," Sasuke greeted calmly. "Good thing I caught you here as I have a question that's been bugging the hell out of me."

Gaara said nothing, but Sasuke wasn't deterred. "Why didn't you finish me off yesterday? You had your opportunity. Why did you stop?"

The shorter boy made as if to move past Sasuke, but the Konoha fighter was having none of it. He placed a hand on Gaara's wrist to hold him prisoner. "Well?"

"You said you made a promise to your friend," came the even reply. "I can understand not wanting to break such a thing. Besides, you fought well, Uchiha Sasuke and I was unable to keep up my shields much longer. It would have been only a matter of time before I lost the match anyway."

He eyed his wrist. "Will you release me now? You have a match to prepare for, correct?"

Sasuke withdrew his hand and both boys shared a final look of mutual respect before going their separate ways. He and Gaara weren't going to be friends anytime soon, but at least they could agree that the match had given each a sneak peek at what they were capable of. Next time, if there was a next time, both would be more emotionally settled enough to fight with no distractions.

"Heh, I see Sasuke's not here after all," Deidara said aloud as he hobbled in with Sasori holding onto his arm, much to the blond's inner irritation. He hated feeling helpless in any situation. However, he smirked at the Konoha fighters stretching. "Too bad for you guys. This final isn't even going to be that exciting."

Team Taka members shared a knowing look amongst themselves, neither saying anything. Sasuke was late due to the meeting with his family. They were going to bring him to the auditorium themselves and if his last text message to Kakashi was any indication, he should be arriving any minute.

Pein and Kisame walked in soon after, neither boy talking to each other as they too eyed their opponents. Naruto watched Pein carefully. The redhead walked with a slouch, that long hair of his still covering most of his face.

_/Don't look into his eyes if you can help it./_

Was that the reason why his eyes were 'blocked' by his hair? Were they that dangerous that he was afraid of anyone looking into them even when not fighting? Naruto couldn't help flinching as Pein lifted his head to stare directly at him. The blond waited for some kind tingle or feeling of being hypnotized (not that he knew how he was supposed to feel actually), but he felt no different. If anything, he noticed Pein seemed to be … _blushing?_ Before he turned away quickly to read through the event program which had been distributed to the audience.

"Where's the girl?" Naruto finally asked.

"She's not going to be needed," Kisame replied with a grin, which was supposed to be amiable one would assume, but had the opposite effect. "She has chosen to remain in the hotel room to rest."

Naruto shook his head in disbelief. He didn't buy that for a minute, after all, Konan had made it clear she was eager to watch him fight.

"All right! Are we all here?" came the booming voice of the announcer guy, who bounded into the room, rubbing his hands together in delight. "Are you all ready to get started, hmm?"

"Wait…" Naruto said as he rose to his feet. "We're missing one person."

He almost burst out laughing at the brief but undeniable looks of bemusement that came to the Akatsuki members' faces. To them, Sasuke was no longer in the picture, so what could Naruto possibly mean by…

"Sorry, I'm late," came the familiar voice of their captain as he walked into the arena, trying not to show that he had been running like a madman to get there. He barely glanced at Akatsuki as he walked past, but did catch Kisame's eyes, a cold smirk coming to his lips as he noticed the aghast look on the bigger boy's face.

"No problem, Sasuke," Naruto said with a wide grin, holding out a clenched fist to greet his teammate with a fist bump. "Ready?"

"More than ready."

Suigetsu sneered and eyed their opponents, especially Deidara who looked like he had eaten something gross. "Hey, douche bag! You were _saying?_"

Deidara scoffed and turned away to hobble out of the room with Sasori in tow. He definitely had to let Konan know about this.

"Fantastic!" the announcer guy cried out oblivious to the tension amongst the fighters. "Now you all know the protocol and rules by now, so I won't even bother you all with that. So go out there, make it good and enjoy yourselves all right? Win or lose, you're all winners for making it this far. Congrats and good luck!"

* * *

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE FINALS OF THE 85TH MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT!"

The audience erupted in applause as the referee made the long-awaited announcement. The performance groups had just finished and the auditorium was buzzing with anticipation. Most were wearing Konoha's colors of green and red, waving flags and blowing party horns, giving the place an atmosphere of being at a baseball game instead of an indoor martial arts tournament. Akatsuki wasn't short of supporters either, as the somber colors of red and black made up a nice chunk of the crowd, their voices eager to be heard over the more boisterous ones of the opposing side.

"We started with 32 schools and have dwindled down to only two, ladies and gentlemen! We've seen the best fighters dazzle us with their skills, but today, I'm sure you're going to see moves like never before! So without much ado, let's welcome our finalists! From Seihou Gakuen…AKATSUKI!"

Only Pein and Kisame walked up to the ring, causing a few bemused expressions to flicker across the spectators faces despite the raucous applause.

"And from Konoha High … TEAM TAKA!"

Sasuke led the way, followed by Naruto, Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo bringing up the rear. They bowed to the grandmasters and V.I.P before turning to the audience to bow in appreciation. They could make out their main cheering section and Naruto was surprised to see Fugaku sitting next to Jiraiya, both men engaged in conversation despite the chaos around them.

"Whoa, my uncle and your dad are buddies now?" Naruto whispered into Sasuke's ear.

"I told my parents what you told me, so I guess he's thanking your uncle or something."

Naruto grinned and watched his family noticing too that Ms. Fuyutsuki and Mikoto were sitting next to each other, waving Konoha's school flags and acting like excited teenage girls. Poor Itachi looked like he was constantly being squeezed and hugged by the overzealous women, and seemed to plea with the boys on stage to rescue him. Also in the mix were, of course, Shika, Kiba, Chouji and their girls. Amaru was next to Haku and Sai, who had a small smile on his pale visage. His good luck wish to his teammates had been heartfelt and genuine and all who listened realized how much it had meant to Sai. If legs could be traded, Naruto felt he would have gladly done so, only to give Sai an opportunity to be a part of this. He could also make out Team Cloud and the Sand members – not really sitting next to each other, but still watching and applauding for them all the same.

_Thanks everyone,_ Naruto thought and took a deep breath. Somehow, just knowing he had those people on their side, made him less anxious.

They were ushered off the stage and down to their sections, where Kakashi was quick to pull aside the three fighters for the day's matches. Sasuke, Naruto and Juugo.

"Looks like they're using only Pein and Kisame…with the assumption they won't be needing a third fighter, or if it comes to that, Kisame will probably go again."

"Damn bastards keep taking us lightly," Naruto growled.

"Then it's up to you to set the tone, Naruto," Kakashi replied, with a gentle squeeze of the blond's shoulder. "Remember what Karui said."

"I got it."

"Fighters to the ring please!"

Naruto bounced up and down and cracked his knuckles. It felt like it had been ages since he got into a fight…at least a real one (the Lin match had been a joke), and his insides were beginning to thrum with that familiar rush of adrenaline.

"Kick some ass, blondie!" Suigetsu yelled.

"Yeah, Naruto! You can do it!" came Karin's cheer.

Juugo simply gave a warm smile and Sasuke…well, he didn't need to say a word, for his eyes said it all. Naruto felt a welcome warmth in his heart at the sight and gave a soft nod of understanding. Leaping onto the ring, he walked up to the referee, tightening the belt around his waist as they waited for Pein to approach. Naruto, feeling suddenly good-natured, gave his opponent a genuine smile as he bowed in greeting. Pein, however, seemed taken aback by this and actually looked a bit horrified, causing Naruto to blink in confusion.

_Geez. What's his problem? You'd think he's never seen anyone smile at him before. Creepy bastard._

"FIGHTERS READY?"

Naruto fell into his stance, eyes narrowed as Pein duplicated his movement.

"BEGIN!"

From the onset, Naruto knew he was going in for close combat and wasn't disappointed as Pein seemed ready for him. His fist was blocked quickly, Pein moving with an agility that betrayed his slouchy demeanor. Naruto struck out with his other hand and that too was blocked, both hands now trapped within Pein's as the redhead raised his knee to deliver a blow. However, Naruto was quick to jump out of the way, spinning above Pein in a surprise move that forced the redhead to release his grip. Landing to the floor, Naruto deftly lifted a leg to perform a side kick, and that would have worked beautifully, if it wasn't for Pein doing a nice back flip to dodge the incoming attack. Hardly giving the blond a chance to recover from the missed opportunity, Pein dashed towards Naruto and delivered a solid roundhouse kick to the blond's side.

Naruto staggered backwards, holding his throbbing side while fighting back the urge to scream in agony. For a scrawny kid like Pein, his kicks sure packed a punch.

_At least he's not paralyzing me yet so…_

He crouched and with that blinding speed that had taken Lin by surprise, he gunned for Pein, smirking at the boy's gasp as he wrapped an arm around his waist…

_Cripes! Does he eat?_

…twisted them around and bent over backwards to perform an unconventional German Suplex.

"I didn't know we were in a wrestling tournament," Suigetsu commented as Kakashi slapped a hand over his face. Sasuke was trying not to laugh and had to turn away from the ring to compose himself. No one could say that the blond loudmouth wasn't full of surprises.

Naruto gave a light grunt and extricated himself from the other boy, watching as Pein seemed to flop back to the floor, unable to move. Naruto wondered if he had slammed the boy too hard, but was rewarded with a surprise as he made the mistake of looking directly into Pein's exposed eye. He had always assumed the boy had black pupils, but was stunned to see that it looked blood red…as if he was suffering from internal bleeding that make it look frightening.

_Shit!_

Naruto tried to move away quickly, but his legs suddenly felt as they were anchored to the floor. He growled and tried to get them to cooperate with him, watching warily as Pein staggered to his feet, obviously still in pain thanks to Naruto's barbaric technique. He rotated his neck and then shook his head, but that was his mistake, for he had taken his eyes off Naruto, who was now charging for him again. Try as hard as he might to dodge, Pein was unable to prevent the left side of his face from exploding in blinding pain as Naruto struck with a punch obviously filled with ki. He stumbled back to the floor, holding his aching face and looked up at Naruto who was running towards him again.

_Goddamn stubborn…!_

Naruto was definitely not expecting what happened next, for Pein had simply thrust his hands out before him, sending him flying across the ring with deep welts on his flesh from whatever technique Pein had just used. Falling to his knees, Naruto tried to catch his breath, but realized with growing panic that his lungs felt too tight…his airflow passage constricted. It was the same sensation experienced after Kisame touched him, only this time, it was ten times worse.

He couldn't control the cough that escaped his sore throat and wasn't surprised to find a mixture of phlegm and blood on the floor as a result of this. Odd as it might seem, Naruto could distinctly hear Amaru's cry of 'Naruto!' from the audience. Not that it was surprising she'd be concerned, after all she had been there the night it happened.

_Goddamnit! I thought uncle and auntie had taken care of this…guess it wasn't meant to be attacked again so soon…_

"Argh!" He hardly dodged Pein's series of kicks and punches, for the more he moved, the more difficult it became to breathe. It finally got so bad, Naruto couldn't control or prevent the second wave of ki that was sent his way. The already dark welts on his flesh broke open and to anyone watching, it looked like Naruto had been brutally whipped. His gi was ripped in several places and with a sickening thud to the floor, he lay still and unable to move a muscle.

"Oh God, no…" Karin whispered and slumped to the floor, unable to watch anymore as the tears fell.

Suigetsu was gritting his teeth as he pounded a fist on the ring's tarp surface in frustration. "Naruto!" he yelled. "Get up! Come on! Naruto!"

Sasuke, who gave an outward appearance of being calm and collected, was a mess inside. His arms, which were folded across his chest, had hands that were clenched into fists to control his trembling. He stared at Naruto's prone figure and felt his heart tighten. Every punch and slash of the blond's body had affected him in ways he couldn't describe and now…

_Get up, Naruto! For today…unleash that beast inside of you, goddamnit! You cannot fucking leave me now!_

It began with a sudden thump of a heartbeat that had slowed down. Within, his heart seemed to expand and contract, forcing the rapid flow of blood through the once blocked arteries and veins. There was the familiar coil of heat in the pit of his stomach, getting hotter with each forced thump of his pumping heart. His fingers twitched on the tarp, and Pein, who had been ready to leave the ring – since it was apparent his opponent was defeated even if the stupid referee was still hovering over Naruto as if hoping the blond would awaken – felt something…_different_. He paused in mid-stride and looked over his shoulder. It still looked as if Naruto was comatose, and as the referee began to motion for the medics to come closer, Pein walked back into the ring to eye Naruto with great interest.

"There'll be no need for them," he finally said to the referee. "Look…he's waking up again."

"What?" The referee looked back at the blond and what he saw had him wondering if he needed to buy himself a pair of glasses. Naruto's face was scrunched up as if tasting something that did not appeal to him, but what was more amazing was that the bleeding had stopped. The wounds were still there, but the blood flow had ceased completely.

Kakashi felt the sudden change in ki and frowned in growing worry. This was definitely not what they needed now. If Naruto went berserk and couldn't control himself…

"Let him be, sensei," Sasuke said quietly as he noticed his teacher about to step into the ring to stop the fight. "I'll take care of it if it gets out of hand."

"Sasuke…"

The referee meanwhile was in euphoric heaven. "Ladies and Gentlemen, let's not call this fight yet! Seems like Uzumaki Naruto is getting a second wind! Amazing!"

The fire in him grew hotter still and Naruto struggled to hold it back. He hadn't been practicing all this time to control his ki, only to have it all go to waste now. However…he looked up and noticed Pein about to perform that damn ki wave thing of his again, and with a light grunt of concentration, he disappeared from sight.

A collective gasp of shock went through the audience. Even his teammates had to blink to be sure they weren't seeing things. Naruto was simply…_gone_.

"Uum….it looks like we've lost Naruto, ladies and gentlemen," the referee announced as he looked up, down, left and right in growing anxiety. "But I'm sure he must have taken a bathroom break and will return shortly."

His lame attempt at a joke was not appreciated by many…except one person who suddenly reappeared behind Pein with a feral grin on his features. "Nice one, Mr. Referee."

The redhead's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the…argh!"

With no warning, he found himself crashing into the table of judges, who again had to scurry out of the way. Naruto lowered the leg he had used to kick his opponent and seemed to disappear again. He appeared seconds later in front of Pein, lifting him by the scruff of his gi to deliver a clenched fist, filled with ki, into his stomach. Pein's gurgle of agony was punctuated by the spurt of blood that escaped his lips and splashed on Naruto's face and gi. He tried to protect himself, or better yet to get a good gauge of where Naruto was, but each time the blond seemed to disappear and reappear, each time leaving Pein with a little extra present.

By the time he was through, Pein was a quivering, bloodied mass on the floor. He desperately tried to use his eyes to hold Naruto in place, but he couldn't explain the surge of power that made Naruto nearly invincible. He looked at the boy hovering above him and trembled as his eyes 'deceived' him. For instead of Naruto, Pein could something else in his place. He knew he was only imagining things, because he just couldn't have seen Naruto's ki take the form of a beast that seemed to be engulfed in fire. No…such a thing was definitely impossible. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the final blow, surprisingly feeling a little at peace with himself. He had given it his best and now…

"No! You've defeated him, so let him go!"

_Ko…Konan?_

He lifted swollen eyelids to stare at the girl who was kneeling before him, arms spread out to prevent Naruto from delivering the punch intended for her teammate. Her normally cold eyes were filled with angry tears, her lips quivering as she stared defiantly at the blond teen.

"Please…" she begged, her voice trembling as the tears finally broke free. "Let him go, Uzumaki Naruto."

Just as suddenly as it had come, Naruto felt the fire weakening and he blinked a few times as if trying to regain his senses. He stared dumbly at his bloodied fists and slowly lowered them in shame, taking a step back as he realized what he had done.

"I'm…I didn't mean to…I'm sorry…"

"Why are you apologizing?" the girl asked. "A fighter never apologizes for defeating an opponent. He put up a good fight, but you were better today. That is all."

"Does he need a stretcher?" the referee asked as he hovered in the background.

Konan shook her head and helped Pein to his feet. "No, we'll be fine." In a much gentler voice, she smiled (something Naruto had never seen before and which, quite frankly, made Konan even prettier) at Pein. "Come on. Let's go back."

The redhead blushed and nodded softly, allowing himself to be led away, but not before looking over his shoulder to give Naruto a weak smile. "Good fight, Uzumaki Naruto. Next time, I'll definitely be ready for you."

"I look forward to it," Naruto replied with a smile of his own, barely registering the appreciative applause given to the two of them as cleaners appeared to wipe the floor. He leaped out of the ring and into his teammates' relived but excited embraces and handshakes, wincing as the effects of the fight began to make themselves apparent with Karin's overenthusiastic hugs.

"Do you need to go to the sick bay?" Kakashi asked.

"And miss the next fight? No fucking way," Naruto replied as he smirked at Sasuke who chuckled, but then looked serious as Kisame was already stepping into the ring without waiting for his name to be announced.

"Looks like he's way too eager to get started," Naruto muttered.

"Hn."

"No mercy, Sasuke," Suigetsu growled, now wishing he could have his chance to fight Kisame next…not that he hoped Sasuke would lose of course.

Their captain leapt onto the ring, dark eyes narrowed as he stared at the sneering boy before him.

"I won't say I'm not surprised to see you here, Uchiha Sasuke. Last I saw, you looked like you were on Death's door." Kisame grinned. "I'll be more than glad to send you back there."

Sasuke said nothing, preferring to turn around to bow to the grandmasters and audience in respect, before turning back to his opponent.

"FIGHTERS READY?...BEGIN!"

Sasuke, who had fallen into a traditional stance, did not move. Neither did Kisame who had his arms still folded across his chest as if observing an interesting specimen.

/Watch out for his hands./

_Easier said than done,_ Sasuke thought as he took a step forward. If he received even a single blow from Kisame, he had no doubt the bastard would absorb his ki. _Time to get this started._

Swiftly, he phased out – his intention to attack Kisame from above. However, he wasn't prepared for Kisame to do the exact same thing, and was stunned to see the bigger fighter mere inches from his face as they seemed to float in midair. He only just ducked in time to avoid the outstretched palm which had been heading for his face. It was the same technique Deidara had used on Omoi, and Sasuke wasn't falling for it. A few strands of his hair suffered the brunt of the attack, thought, as they were sliced off neatly.

With a growl, he spun around in mid-air and delivered a spinning hook kick to Kisame's back, smirking in satisfaction as the other boy was taken by surprise to fall back to the floor with a grunt. Kisame recovered quickly, leaping into the air again with a speed that stunned Sasuke who received a sharp kick to his chest from Kisame's knee.

Even before falling to the floor, Sasuke felt the dull surge of energy escaping him. It made him feel a bit lightheaded, and he had to shake his head quickly to get rid of the sensation. Kisame dove towards him with a beastly yell, and Sasuke rolled out of the way, wincing as he noticed the noticeable dent Kisame's blow left behind. Unfortunately, it didn't look like Kisame was done yet. Relentlessly, he continued to deliver his punches, each time destroying a little more of the ring as Sasuke did his best to dodge.

"Stop running away, Uchiha," Kisame snarled, crouching and licking his knuckles. "Face me like a man, eh?"

A little out of breath, as the 'chase' had gone on for a while, Sasuke blinked away the trickle of sweat that dripped into his eyes and thought quickly. If he could only get to Kisame's…

"Whoa!" He leaped into the air to avoid the incoming attack and smiled grimly as he got the chance he was looking for. With intense concentration, he focused all his ki into his middle and index finger and twisted in the air to land behind Kisame. Before the bigger boy could turn around, Sasuke thrust the fingers against a section of Kisame's neck and tried to skid away, but found himself suddenly struggling to breathe. Kisame had caught him, his big hand wrapped tightly around Sasuke's neck to squeeze mercilessly.

"Sasuke!" Naruto, who had been watching every move with manic intensity and his heart in his throat, screamed in horror at what was happening. He would have gotten into the ring himself if it wasn't for Kakashi dragging him back to the sidelines. "Let me go, sensei!"

"Be calm, Naruto!" he commanded harshly, even though his gaze was trained on the fighters in the ring. A frown of worry was etched on his features, but he knew he couldn't allow his team to see his distress. He had to trust that Sasuke would get himself out of this.

Sasuke wheezed, feeling even weaker – his vision wavering as there now seemed to be two…no…three Kisames standing before him. He reached up to try to pry away the hand from his neck, but his attempts were thwarted each time as just the act of lifting his quivering arms alone seemed almost impossible.

"You should be lucky I'm being this benevolent, Uchiha Sasuke," Kisame drawled. "I will enjoy breaking your spine and then….urk!"

His eyes widened, and his face seemed to contort into a grotesque shape. His grip on Sasuke's neck slackened, and soon he was forced to release the boy completely as he grabbed his own neck, staggering backwards with disbelief filling those beady eyes.

Sasuke was on his knees, coughing and trying to gather much needed air into his lungs. He rubbed his throat which felt raw to him. He was still weak, but he was beginning to get a second wind.

"Idiot," he panted, glaring at Kisame whose neck was swelling into the size of a tennis ball. "I promised I'd make you pay, didn't I?"

Forcing himself to his feet, Sasuke gathered strength from within and dashed towards Kisame, delivering a solid axe kick on the boy's shoulder which sent him stumbling to the floor. Not giving Kisame a chance to fight back, he attacked again – this time connecting with Kisame's jaw which caused his head to snap back and a spurt of blood to escape his cracked lips and broken nose.

Kisame growled in unbridled fury and in a desperate move, tried to capture Sasuke's leg, but the Konoha fighter spun away from him and joining his hands together, he yelled and delivered a hammer blow into Kisame's lower back, forcing the Akatsuki fighter to his knees again.

"Not done yet," Sasuke grunted. A flurry of punches to Kisame's face – which the other boy was trying to block as best he could – almost sent him out of the ring. But Kisame was a stubborn bastard and he was still able to brace himself (just as he got to the edge of the ring) long enough to thrust out a leg to topple Sasuke to the floor.

With his face bloodied and sweaty, Kisame now hardly looked human. "I'll kill you, Uchiha!" he said through a gruesome grin that revealed his blood-filled mouth and a few missing teeth. "I'll fucking kill you!"

"Kill me?" Sasuke said quietly, as he rose to his feet slowly, forming a fist as all the anger he had been storing up since the moment Sai told him the news, began to brim to the surface. His ki became so strong, many were able to see the visible blue energy now forming around the boy's trembling but clenched fingers.

"Kill me? Only one person is allowed to kill me, asshole, and it definitely isn't you," he stated in that deceptively quiet tone, now looking up to meet Kisame's eyes. What the bigger boy saw had him taking an uncertain step backwards. He had seen Pein's eyes turn that horrible shade of red when he was angry, but to see the same thing in Sasuke's eyes…

The Konoha fighter's lips parted to reveal a grin that was nothing short of wicked, and sliding backwards, he growled beneath his breath. "This is for Naruto, motherfucker."

No one saw him move, especially not Kisame, who would never be able to explain, in words, the mind numbing pain that wracked through his body as he found himself flying through the air, body doubled over, before landing in the first few rows of the scattering/screaming audience.

A hushed silence filled the once loud auditorium as everyone stared at the immobile figure amongst the broken chairs and then at the panting blood-streaked boy who stood all alone in the middle of the ring.

Sasuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath, realizing that it was finally over. It was a bittersweet victory, but a victory all the same. He finally lifted his lashes and turned to the grandmasters and V.I.P section. He bowed in respect and was just about to make his way off the stage when something 'flew' towards him with a speed that took his breath away.

He felt strong arms around his neck and subconsciously bracing himself for another fight, it took him only a second later for the familiar scent to assail his senses.

"Naru…Naruto…?" he gasped in pleasant surprise, arms automatically wrapping themselves around the blond's waist to hold him tightly.

And in the midst of thunderous applause and cheers, Sasuke finally heard them – those three whispered words that filled his heart with an emotion so strong he forgot how to breathe.

"I love you…Sasuke…"


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes:** Well, this is it! The last hurrah. To think that I finished a story in one month (just about) is an accomplishment for yours truly as I haven't written fanfiction in over two years!

The thanks definitely goes to everyone who took the time to leave a comment for each chapter, who prodded and asked for more and spurred me to go on. I can't express my gratitude enough.

Please no demands for sequels because I suck at those. I'd rather have the reader fill in the blanks and imagine what happens to the characters long after the last line has been read.

Thanks again and enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One:**

"Can't believe you went all gay on us, man," Chouji grumbled while digging through his bag of snacks for something to fit the occasion. "And with Sasuke of all people." He pulled out a Mars chocolate bar and unwrapped it with an expertise that never failed to marvel his friends. He took a huge bite, chewed, and then swallowed. "Want some?"

"No, man," Shikamaru drawled, flicking away some of the ash from his cigarette. "You finished the damn thing in one bite."

"You should have asked on time then," came the quick response as he polished off the chocolate and dug through his bag again, this time pulling out a pack of onion-flavored potato chips. He leaned against the wall and sighed in bliss, before sliding a glance at the quiet blond who was lying on the ground, hands beneath his head, eyes closed and that heavy medal still draped around his neck.

"Seriously though," Chouji finally said after a while. "That whole tournament thing was hella cool. Right, Shika?"

The dark-haired boy nodded with a small smile, turning his head a little to look at Naruto, who hadn't said much since the award ceremonies held earlier in the school auditorium. The whole school had turned out to give the fighters a hero's welcome, awarding them gold medals in addition to the ones they had earned at the tournament. The school was closed yesterday since the students were still either returning back to the city or recovering from the party Jiraiya had hosted for the winners, their friends and family in his hotel suite on Sunday. So today, Tuesday, was a day to celebrate their school's achievement. The martial arts tournament had been a much bigger deal than they thought. The team had their pictures taken and made the news, both on T.V and the local newspapers, even going as far as giving interviews to curious reporters. Who would have thought their once slacker leader would be talk of the town? It almost seemed too surreal to comprehend.

"…the way he punched that guy…whoo baby! It was like KA-POW! Dude went flying man…_flying!_ Never seen anything like it. And remember that time…"

As Chouji rattled on, recounting all the best moments of the tournament, Naruto found himself drifting back to the events of the past two days…especially what had happened after the fight with Kisame.

_I love you, Sasuke._

It seemed like eons since he said that to the dark-haired boy, and to be honest, the enormity of the moment had overwhelmed Naruto so much, he couldn't even remember dashing up to the ring to hug him. All he could remember was the inexplicable _need_ to let Sasuke know at that very moment – to let the boy know just how much being his (or more than) friend over the past few months _really_ meant to him. It seemed way too cliché and melodramatic, but Naruto couldn't really see any other time to have done such a thing. Besides, neither boy was given a chance to really savor the moment after his confession as pandemonium soon broke out. Karin had run up to the stage to push Naruto aside, grabbing Sasuke in a hug of her own. He was soon surrounded by not only Suigetsu and Juugo, but by friends who were now able to move into the ring, all eager to congratulate the team.

There was the award ceremony…pictures and interviews from the media that had showed up…more pictures with family members, friends and fans…and then Jiraiya inviting them to the hotel suite and the rest of the evening spent partying like it was going out of style. They eventually crashed in exhaustion sometime in the wee hours of the morning, with none of the fighters making it back to their hotel, but choosing to sleep anywhere there was room in the penthouse.

By noon the next day, Naruto eventually forced himself out of bed to escort his friend Omoi (and the rest of Team Cloud) home. It was a bittersweet farewell for he knew it would be a long time before he got to see his childhood friend again. However, both boys promised to make time to catch up, and as they had each other's email addresses and phone numbers now, there would be no problem communicating as often as possible. Team Sand and Akatsuki had left the day before (with Akatsuki leaving as soon as they could extricate the comatose Kisame from the seats), not that Naruto was complaining, but he would have at least liked to see the Sand members again. At least with Shika and Temari now dating, it was likely he'd see the blonde girl soon.

In the midst of the chaos though, Naruto had found the time to have that 'talk' with Amaru. It was sometime during the party at the penthouse, and Naruto was…

* * *

…eyeing the large tray filled with expensive sushi rolls. The thumping bass from the music blasting in the living room area filtered through the kitchen door, which kept opening and closing as guests came in to get something to eat or drink to refresh themselves.

Now cleaned up and dressed in his casual clothes, Naruto had been the center of attention for most of the evening, and seeking a means to get some 'air' from all the hugs and congratulations and 'talk-to-us-about-what-happened-when' moments, he had sought refuge in here. It didn't help that he was feeling a little light-headed from all the drinks he had been guzzling for the better part of the evening. He was sure some of them were alcoholic even though Jiraiya had insisted otherwise.

"There's the elusive hero!" came the gush from a familiar voice just as Naruto was about to pop a juicy tuna roll into his mouth. "I was looking all over for you, handsome."

She plucked the roll from his fingers and offered to feed it to him. Smiling, he decided to play along, opening his mouth with a loud 'aaaaah' and accepting the treat with an exaggerated groan of pleasure. Amaru giggled, her pretty features flushed as she leaned against the counter to pull out a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of her pants. Dressed in a pair of skinny black jeans with silver belts and chains, a white tank-top and matching sequin-like black jacket, she definitely stood out amongst the other girls. And with that flaming red hair, she was no doubt the object of every hot-blooded male's fantasy tonight.

"So what are you doing here?" she asked after taking a long drag and releasing the smoke into the air. She would have offered him one, but she already knew he no longer indulged in such habits.

Naruto leaned against the counter beside her. "Trying to relax, and I am fucking tired. I just want to sleep."

"I hear you," she replied with a soft chuckle. She reached up to caress his cheek gently, fingertips dancing over the cuts and bruises from his fight. "You were magnificent though. Now I can understand what Sasuke meant when he said it was amazing to watch you fight."

Naruto's cheeks flushed with color and he tried to find the seemingly thousands of bottles of drinks on another section of the counter, fascinating.

"Too cute," Amaru said, smiling as she pinched his cheek gently. However, the smile wavered and she fell silent, concentrating more on her cigarette, her gaze fixed on the door which opened again to reveal a grinning Kiba and his girl. The couple barely acknowledged the other as they simply reached for several bottles of beer before dashing out again, giggling and laughing about some joke.

Feeling nervous all of a sudden, Naruto took a deep breath and figured it was time he tried to explain to Amaru about wanting to be just…

"Before you say anything else," she began, much to his surprise. "I already know you don't feel that way about me. It was more than obvious that night at the movies, Naruto."

The smile returned and she nudged him playfully. "It could have been easy for me to continue living in denial, but I'm not delusional, Naruto and I know when I'm only just a 'friend' to anyone. If anything, I'm just glad that one of my best friends is happy again. I've never seen him smile so much in my life."

"Yeah well…" Naruto eyed his hands. "It's probably because he won and…"

"Uh huh and I'm actually Anko Ai."

"Really? No fucking way!" His eyes widened and he gave a gasp of shock, which made the girl laugh at his comical expression. Naruto grinned at the sight, knowing now that Amaru was a little more relaxed, for even though she had sounded flippant with her comments, he had sensed that she was still tense about the whole situation. To see her laugh made him feel so much better inside.

"Anyway," she said, pushing herself away from the counter to stretch her arms above her head. "Just because you're with Sasuke now, doesn't mean we can't still hang out. Besides, you still owe me another date night."

"It's not like I'm completely gay," Naruto mumbled with slight embarrassment. "I still find girls attractive and you're still hot, Amaru. I swear I had the biggest crush on you…"

"Why thank you, Uzumaki Naruto." She gave a curtsey. "And it's easy for me to have a crush on you too. Maybe if Sasuke wasn't in the picture, I could really make some moves on you and claim you for myself. He's such a lucky bastard. Argh. That just pisses me off."

They both laughed at this though, and before he could control himself, he wrapped his arms around her waist to give her a heartfelt hug, closing his eyes as he inhaled the sweet scent of whatever shampoo she used for her hair. He opened them again as she pulled back to place a hard but quick kiss on his lips before staring deeply into his eyes.

"Be good to each other," she said softly. "You're both explosive and stubborn in your own ways, and there's bound to be clashes every once in a while, but just remember why you love him and hopefully your relationship will last long after the infatuation wears off."

_Infatuation, huh?_

Infatuations were the feelings he received when he saw a hot babe and wanted nothing more than to see her naked. Infatuations involved quick flings or make out sessions that fizzled out by the time you realized you couldn't get a boner no matter how hard you tried. What he had with Sasuke was definitely not an infatuation. Naruto, honestly, thought the excitement of being with a guy especially after that night of sex, would have worn out the next day, but his need for Sasuke had worsened since then. Oddly enough, he had expected himself to be more aware of guys, sexually at least, but besides the brief attraction to Haku…Naruto still couldn't get himself to appreciate males in the same way he did for Sasuke. He wondered if it was actually possible to be gay for only one person or if the conversion took some time. Either way, this was no time to be concerned about something he couldn't control.

He blushed at the curious look he was receiving from the girl and muttered a hasty, "Thanks, Amaru."

"Great! Now tell me all about the sex," she said, with a grin on her face. "I want details, buddy. _Details!_"

Naruto groaned in disbelief and embarrassment. "Oh, come on….does every fucking person on the planet know this?"

Amaru blinked. "So… it _really_ did happen?"

"…oh, shit."

"Eeek!" She squealed in delight and rushed towards him again. "I wanna know now! Tell me!"

"No!"

"Pretty please? I'll strip for you!"

"…well…let me consider it…"

"I'll show you my lace bra…this one is zebra print…"

"Really?"

"Oh, my God! You're still a pervert!"

"Ouch! Did you have to hit me?"

"I can't believe you'd actually want to see my bra…"

"You offered, goddamn it!"

"So? If I said I'd show you my Victoria Secret's thong underwear, what would you say?"

"Easy. Hurry up and take it off…ouch!"

* * *

"Now he's smiling to himself." Chouji's voice broke through his thoughts and Naruto opened his eyes to notice his plump friend was leaning over him.

"Your breath stinks, man," Naruto drawled, reaching up to push Chouji's face away gently. He sat up and stretched stiff muscles but was soon distracted as they heard the running steps of someone approaching. It was Kiba, holding a piece of paper in his hand as he dashed towards them as fast as he could. He came to a halt, trying to catch his breath while grinning in pleasure at his expectant friends.

"I got it," he said, shaking the paper at them. "I can't believe it! I got the soccer scholarship!"

"Whoa! That's great!" Naruto rose to his feet to give his friend a brief but hard hug. He took the paper from Kiba's hand and read through it carefully as Shika and Chouji joined in the congratulations. The paper was a letter from one of the more prominent universities in the country. Apparently a scout had been at the last soccer game and they had liked the way Kiba played. They were willing to offer him a full scholarship to their school, as long as he joined their soccer team. Naruto glanced at his happy friend, who was suffering through Chouji's chokehold. Shikamaru had walked up to the blond to read the document and both boys shared a brief but poignant look. This was definitely a huge step for Kiba, and they couldn't be any happier for him. He definitely deserved the opportunity to become the best at what he loved to do.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Naruto finally asked with a smirk.

Kiba looked up. "What's that?"

"You're buying us lunch for the rest of the week, douche bag."

"Aww man!"

They laughed and kidded with each other for the next few minutes, talking and sharing tales of how university life would be when they eventually graduated high school. However, the realization that they were **indeed **going to graduate soon and would no longer be together, put a damper on their conversation. They fell silent for a while, each lost in their thoughts. Chouji was doodling on the ground. Shika was lying down with his eyes closed. Kiba was rolling up the document gently, while Naruto watched his friends with a tightening lump in his throat.

They had been together since grade school and the knowledge that they'd be going their separate ways in just a few months, was hard to swallow. He just couldn't picture them not hanging out as often as they did.

"Why are we all morose?" Kiba suddenly spoke up with a wave of his hands. "Geez. We've still got time before graduation and besides, we'll still see each other during vacations and what not. It's not as if we're completely disappearing from each other's lives, eh?"

"It's not gonna be the same though," Chouji muttered. He looked up and his friends were surprised to see his eyes filling with tears. "You guys are the bestest friends I've ever had. Everyone else laughs and doesn't take me seriously, but you guys have stuck with me all these years and I'll…I'll…"

Shikamaru sat up to pull his friend within his arms in an awkward but heartfelt embrace. "What are you talking about?" he said quietly. "Anyone who's dumb enough not to see how great you are, doesn't deserve to be your friend, man. Right, guys?"

Kiba joined in to wrap his arms around both of them. "That's right! And if anyone gives you a tough time, we'll come to rescue you. Eh, Naruto?"

The blond smiled and joined the circle they had formed. He looked at his best friends and felt his heart swell with the love and admiration he had for each of them. "No matter what," he finally said in a voice thick with barely controlled emotion. "We'll always be best friends. Even when we get gray hairs and wrinkly dicks…"

Collective cries of 'eeeew!" or 'dude! That's gross!" punctuated with laughter and giggles, had Naruto grinning. "Whatever, man. You know your dick is gonna fall off before you get to seventy," he teased, but sobered up to finish quietly but firmly. "Seriously though…no matter what….we're always going to be friends, all right? I love you guys…"

"Not like you luuurve Sasuke, I hope," Chouji snickered, earning a blush from his friend. It wasn't as if he had said those words loud enough for anyone else to hear, neither had he told them about his feelings for Sasuke.

"Shut the fuck up," he said reaching out to ruffle Chouji's hair.

They began to tease each other again, when a light cough had them turning around to see the very subject of their conversation. Sasuke was standing a few feet away, hands in the pockets of his pants and an impassive expression on his features. One couldn't tell if he was irritated by the display or didn't really give a shit. Either way, he nodded at the other boys in acknowledgement before focusing his piercing gaze on the blond.

"Ready to go, Naruto?"

"Oooh, the boyfriend is here," Kiba teased. "Better run off now before he gets all bitchy."

"Kiba," Naruto hissed, blushing even harder at the knowing looks on his friends' faces. He stepped away with a light wave. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"You got it," Shikamaru replied, smiling to himself as he watched Naruto run up to catch the already striding Sasuke.

"Who would have thought," Chouji said quietly as the duo disappeared from sight with a slam of the door leading into the school behind them. "Just a few months ago, Naruto couldn't stand the guy."

"Love is a strange thing, I guess," Shikamaru replied as he reached for another cigarette to light up. "Let's just hope their relationship is a good one. It's all we can hope for, right?"

"Right!"

Shikamaru squeezed Kiba's shoulder gently, winking at the boy who had been staring after the other couple with a slight wistful expression on his visage. "Let's go, Kiba. Miho's waiting for you, remember?"

"Yeah…I guess…" He perked up and then grinned at the other boys. "So…although I really don't want to do this, I guess I do owe you guys dinner, since lunch time is way past."

"Ichiraku's!" Chouji bellowed, reaching for his bag of snacks to catch up to his friends. "I heard he has a special today…soba and…"

Their voices trailed off as they made their way back into the school, leaving behind the lingering smell of cigarette smoke, a dying sunset and the promises of a brighter and hopeful future for all of them.

* * *

They had opted to leave their modes of transportation today, choosing to walk all the way to Naruto's house instead.

At the moment, however, Sasuke was trying not to groan as Naruto was again in the middle of the river, pants and sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his knees and forearms, with his brows furrowed in concentration. Sasuke was leaning over the wood railing of the pedestrian bridge, looking down at the blond who was attracting a few curious glances as he tried to catch that elusive fish.

"Give it up, Naruto," Sasuke yelled in growing annoyance (_still_ a part of him was curious to know if he would catch the damn thing). "I'm hungry, goddamn it!"

"Shut up! You're making them run away!"

"You suck at catching fish, asshole! You really think they're going to…!"

"GOT IT!" Naruto suddenly bellowed and much to Sasuke's shock, the blond held up both hands above his head, holding a wiggling medium-sized fish, whose scales seemed to glow in different colors beneath the sunset. "Take a picture, Sasuke! Hurry!"

Too dumbfounded to argue, Sasuke tried to pull out his cell phone to capture the moment, when Naruto cursed as the fish gave one final struggle before leaping out of his hands and swimming away for its dear life.

"Ah, man!" Naruto tried to chase it, but gave up after a few fruitless minutes. He turned to glare at his snickering companion. "I thought you were holding your cell already? How long does it fucking take to snap a picture?"

"Don't get pissed off at me," Sasuke grumbled as Naruto began to wade out of the water. "It's not my fault that you're…"

"Aaaargh!"

Naruto's scream sent a stab of fear down Sasuke's spine, and he spun around quickly to see what had caused the blond to do that. His eyes widened as he noticed Naruto flailing in the water, and hardly thinking twice about what he was doing, Sasuke dashed down the bridge and flung off his bag from across his chest. He began to wade into the river, not bothering to roll up his pants or concerned about how wet he was becoming.

"Naruto? Are you all right?" He reached for the blond, hands moving to pull Naruto out when he suddenly found himself being dunked into the cold river. He sputtered and lifted his head, shaking it and running a hand down his face in disbelief as Naruto nearly busted a gut in laughter.

Sasuke wasn't sure if to yell or laugh, but eventually settled for growling and smirking in mischief. "You son-of-a-bitch…take that!"

Naruto's almost girlish squeal of surprise as Sasuke tried to dunk him as well, was overshadowed with laughter as they began to splash each other with water, wondering who could get the wettest. However, a sharp piercing shrill of a whistle had the boys looking up and into the stern features of a policeman, who was definitely not finding the situation funny.

"You boys got a home to go to?"

"Yes, sir," Sasuke replied, trying to look contrite even as Naruto was busy trying to tickle him from behind. "We'll be leaving now, sir."

"Hurry it up then."

He kept his eyes on them as the boys waded back to land, reached for their school bags and tried to look as presentable as possible…which was hard to achieve considering they were both soaking wet. To their chagrin, the policeman seemed insistent on escorting them for a while, and it wasn't until they reached the main streets again, did he finally go away.

"Geez. I thought he'd never leave," Sasuke grumbled. He eyed Naruto and snickered. "You're a mess."

"Look who's talking," the blond teased, nudging him gently. "Let's grab something to eat."

They stopped at a street vendor and bought some yakitori, takoyaki and beverages to wash it down, deciding to sit on a bench in the public park to eat with no distractions. They were content to eat in silence for a while, watching couples share private moments, or families pushing their babies in strollers or dealing with stubborn kids who ran off to investigate one thing or another. Night was falling fast and a few stars were beginning to peek through the darkening sky. It brought with it a much cooler breeze, a welcome reprieve from the heat of the afternoon.

Naruto belched as he finished a can of soda, deftly pitching it into a trashcan that was a few feet away.

"You should consider playing for a basketball team in whatever college you decide to go to," Sasuke said in appreciation.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know…I'll be lucky if I even get into a good enough college. I bet Todai's been knocking on your door, eh?"

Sasuke wasn't even going to bother denying it. He had definitely been courted by the prestigious university as well as many other prominent ones in the country. Hell, even letters from Oxford and Harvard had been received, but he was yet to decide where to go.

"They have," he replied, a thoughtful look on his visage. "However…you shouldn't sell yourself so short, Naruto. See how well you did in the Math test with just a little studying. If you really worked hard, I bet your grades will be high enough to get you into a good enough school."

_A place where we won't be too far apart._

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Naruto scoffed. "It was brutal just studying for the Math test, how the fuck am I supposed to do all that for the rest of my classes?"

"I'll help you," Sasuke said firmly, pinning a hard gaze on Naruto. "I want you to succeed, dip shit and maybe we can go to the same school…"

His voice trailed off, a light flush coming to his cheeks at what he was trying to imply. He knew his parents would definitely not appreciate Sasuke deciding to go to whatever school Naruto ended up in, and if it was decided that he would end up attending University of Tokyo, it would mean finding a school nearby that Naruto could be accepted into. So even if it meant staying up till three in the morning, he was determined to make sure Naruto had the best grades in the upcoming entrance exams.

"Let's get real, Sasuke. We'll never be in the same school," Naruto muttered.

"Yeah, but we could still be close…"

"Hn."

A tense silence fell as both boys remained lost in their thoughts. Naruto captured his lower lip between his teeth and tried to squash down the feeling of disappointment at this. It was bad enough that he might end up losing his friends, but Sasuke too…

"Sai got accepted into that Art University he wanted to get into. He doesn't even need to take the entrance exam," Sasuke said with a soft chuckle. "Lucky bastard."

Naruto smiled at Sai's good fortune. "That and the fact that it seems he doesn't hate Haku that much now." The last he had seen of the effeminate Iwata student was he waving good bye to them in the hotel parking lot, but not before stealing a quick kiss from Sai's lips that had left the artist blushing at the intimate gesture. There was no doubt those two were going to be friends again, and Naruto was genuinely happy for the couple.

"So…what about Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo?" he asked, curious to know what would become of the other fighters now that the dojo was unofficially 'closed' so the seniors could concentrate on the upcoming exams.

"Suigetsu said he's taking a year off, but his grades are good enough to get him into any university he wants. Karin's the same…I think they're going to travel together or something… no definite plans yet. Juugo…still needs a little work, but he says if he doesn't pass, he'll just join his cousin's steel business. They could use a guy with his strength."

Naruto nodded. It felt weird talking about something like this, but it was an inescapable reality. They were not going to remain in high school forever. The real world awaited them with sharpened claws. Naruto wasn't sure if he was ready yet.

"What about those friends of yours?" Sasuke asked.

"Kiba got a soccer scholarship to Edogawa…Shikamaru might get into Gakushuin and Chouji…I don't even know. He said he might apply to Fuji…but if he doesn't make it, he'll join his father's business."

Sasuke chewed the end of the yakitori stick thoughtfully. "So they're not total losses after all."

"Hey, watch it now," Naruto said with an attempt to scowl. "They are pretty smart guys. Speaking of which, is your brother still in town?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah…he's not leaving until Friday. What?" he asked noticing Naruto watching him with a raised brow.

"Hehe, I thought you'd be saying something like…'damn bastard won't stop bugging me and I wish he'd just go already.' Seems like you two are becoming pretty chummy."

"He's all right," Sasuke agreed with a light blush. "We played some games last night…and talked a bit more. His business is doing well and he's proud of how much he's accomplished in such a short time. He hopes it will pick up in the States and wants me to follow him if I want to. Besides, he says he wants to hang out with you."

"Really?"

"Yeah…just don't listen to whatever story he tells you about me. He likes to embellish things a lot. Especially if he starts saying I peed on my bed a lot as a kid or something dumb like that."

Naruto cracked up and suffered a light cuff on the head for doing so. He managed to control his laughter to chuckles and leaned back on the bench with a sigh of pleasure. How he wished things could be like this forever…

"So…what about Amaru?"

Naruto smiled softly. "She's traveling abroad. She's going to take that swimming thing a little more seriously and is going to the States to train as well as attend school. I can't even remember the name of the place now, but she sounded excited when we talked about it yesterday." He paused and said genuinely. "I'll miss her."

Sasuke's lips quirked. "I'll miss her too. But at least…she won't be a distraction anymore. I'm going to have to find a way to get you to stop finding girls attractive, Naruto. You should only be getting boners for me, got it?"

He smirked at the blush this elicited and felt his heartbeat quickening as he leaned closer to brush his lips gently against Naruto's parted ones.

"That the best you can do?" came the whispered tease, as Naruto dared Sasuke to do more in their public setting. He was rewarded with a low moan and a much harder press of the other boy's lips against his, lashes fluttering closed as he responded with a passion that was only matched by his companion's. He gasped and turned a bright red as he felt the sudden squeeze of the growing bulge in his pants and pulled back quickly, panting and trying to catch his breath, while pushing Sasuke's hand away.

"Geez, Sasuke!" he whispered harshly, just as a family strolled past with their two little children. "Let's corrupt them, why don't you?"

"You dared me," Sasuke replied, a hand now sliding beneath Naruto's shirt to find and pinch his nipples gently. "Besides, it's getting dark and no one can really see us." He buried his face against Naruto's neck, trailing hard and soft kisses on the arching flesh and relishing in the soft gasps of delight his actions were causing.

"Yeah…but…but….aaah…" Naruto whimpered and tried to pull away as very loud laughter from behind them…which eventually drifted off as the couple walked past, had him trying to push his wicked partner away again. "Sasuke! Seriously! Let's wait till we get back to the house and then…ah fuck!" He nearly fell off the bench as Sasuke had squeezed his straining cock again through his pants, hardly letting up as he stroked continuously.

"Sto…stop," Naruto whined, hands clenching Sasuke's shoulders as he squeezed his eyes shut. "Please don't…don't make me cum in my pants," he pleaded weakly.

"You want me to stop?" came the husky whisper against his ear.

"Yes…no…just not here," Naruto hissed and then promptly regretted his decision as Sasuke pulled back, leaving him in state of near painful arousal. His entire body was aching for completion, and with one shared look between them, they knew their time in the park was over.

Sasuke stood up first and held out a hand to Naruto, who stared at it for a long moment as if seeing it for the first time. Taking that hand would mean so much more than just going to his house to consummate their relationship…again. Taking that hand would mean a future with Sasuke…good or bad, neither knowing how long it would last or what it held for them. Taking that hand would mean opening his heart and mind even more than ever before, and perhaps finally letting go of those demons that had plagued him for most of his life.

It wasn't going to be all roses and sunshine, but accepting that hand would mean giving them a chance from something potentially…

"Why are you smiling like that?" Sasuke asked in bemusement. "What are you…?"

His words were silenced as Naruto had risen to his feet, his hand now entwined with Sasuke's as he placed a slow, lingering kiss on the other boy's lips. People passed and stared/gawked, but neither boy cared, especially not Naruto who remembered the words Sasuke had told him that morning in their hotel room.

He pulled back a little to rest his forehead against Sasuke's, staring into those dark eyes that were so goddamn beautiful to him, while trying to catch his breath.

And in a quiet voice, he made his decision. "I'll study hard, Sasuke. I'll work until my brain explodes if it means I get to be in a school next to you. Besides…we bounded couples can't afford to be apart, right?"

He placed his hand against Sasuke's chest…in the general area of where Jiraiya and Kaname's seal was and smiled warmly at the blushing boy before him.

_Naruto…_

"You…you listen to too much romantic crap," Sasuke finally said, his voice trembling with the depth of his feelings for this boy he had chased for so long.

_Finally…_

"Heh…I learned from the best," Naruto teased, and with a final hard kiss, he pulled away to reach for his school bag. Smirking, he began to walk backwards, keeping his eyes trained on Sasuke as he made a purposeful seductive gesture with his fingers and tongue. "Hurry up, Uchiha Sasuke. I'm getting all hot and bothered and need your long, hard dick..."

"Goddamn you, Uzumaki Naruto," Sasuke growled as he reached for his bag, having to now chase after the laughing blond leading the way home.

For he knew that this time around, this chase had an even better reward – one that could last for the rest of their lives.

_I will always love you, Naruto. _

**..::The End::..**


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes:**

Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who spoke up about the plagiarist and supported the 'cause' so to speak. The story has FINALLY been removed. Thank God!

And please, if anyone ever notices such a thing happening to any of my stuff/works, please don't hesitate to let me know.

And last but not least, my sincere thanks to those who take the time to leave a comment after reading the story! It really warms my heart to know you guys still love this long after the last word has been read.


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